Rosscarbery

Rosscarbery was good in winning the Group 3 Munster Oaks at Cork on Friday on her seasonal debut. Sharply away but settled back in fifth place by Billy Lee before they completed the short run to the first turn, she travelled well down the back straight and into the home straight. The only filly still on the bridle after they had straightened up for home, she moved easily into the lead on the run to the two-furlong marker, and she quickened smartly to put two lengths between herself and her rivals. Azazat did close inside the final furlong, but Rosscarbery was possibly idling in front, possibly tiring a little after she had gone and won her race, and she picked up again, she was actually going away again on the run to the line, and the first two pulled nicely clear of their rivals.

It was a lovely step into the season by Paddy Twomey’s mare. Rated 81 when she joined her current trainer at the start of last year, she progressed through the 2022 season, winning two Group 3 races, including this race last year, and going down by a neck in the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet, and finishing off the season on a mark of 110. Bought by Lady Bamford at the Tattersalls mares’ sale last December for a million guineas, it is significant that her new owner sent her back into training with Paddy Twomey. She would have been a valuable broodmare with the CV that she had, but her trainer obviously feels that she can improve on what she achieved last year, that there is a Group 1 race in her. She has lots of options now, and she would be of interest if she took her chance in the Pretty Polly Stakes at The Curragh on Irish Derby weekend, a race in which she was disqualified from third place last year behind her stable companion La Petite Coco after a scales malfunction resulted in her carrying the incorrect weight. She is versatile too, she won the Stanerra Stakes last year over a mile and six furlongs.
Cork, 16^th June 2023