Presence

Presence stayed on well to finish fourth in the Listed Garnet Stakes at Naas on Sunday. Settled in mid-division early on by Keithen Kennedy from her outside draw, she came under a ride early in the home straight as the pace quickened. She got held up in traffic a little on the run to the two-furlong marker as the leaders quickened, she dropped back to ninth or 10th but, once she got into the clear, she stayed on well. She made good ground through the final 200 yards to get up and take fourth place, beaten about three parts of a length for second place behind Azada.

This was another race in which the pace held up well, with the first and second, Azada and Sakti, racing in second and first places respectively from early. Presence did well to get as close as she did from mid-division, especially given that her rider couldn’t ask her for her effort as early as he wanted to. Winner of her maiden over nine and a half furlongs on soft ground at Ballinrobe in July, she was impressive in winning an apprentices’ handicap over a mile on good ground at The Curragh a week earlier off a mark of 74. This was obviously a big step up in grade for her, she had over a stone to find on the top-rated fillies in this listed race, even off her revised mark – and her rider couldn’t utilise his 7lb claim either – but she proved that she wasn’t out of place in listed company. She is obviously on great terms with herself, and she will be of interest if she races again between now and the end of the season.

Naas, 13^th October 2024