Emulous

The Dermot Weld-trained Emulous ran a cracker to finish second to Latin Love in the nine-furlong listed fillies' race at The Curragh on Sunday. Slightly hampered early on, she was probably further back in the field in the early stages of the race than rider Pat Smullen would ideally have wanted, and she had to make her ground up the home straight among horse and on the outside, yet she still came there looking a likely winner at the two-furlong pole, quickening up nicely and moving over towards the far rail to almost join Latin Love. In fairness to the David Wachman-trained winner, she quickened up nicely for Ryan Moore on the far side, she is obviously talented, especially on easy ground, but she had enjoyed a perfect run through the race on the rail just behind the pace. It never looked like Emulous was going to catch Latin Love once she quickened up inside the final furlong, but Smullen wasn't that hard on her when it was obvious that her winning chance had gone, he just punched her out to the line, and she just held on to the runner-up spot from the fast-finishing She's Our Mark, who didn't enjoy an ideal run through the race either.

This was just Emulous's third ever run. She ran a really well on her racecourse debut at The Curragh last October, when she was drawn poorly in stall 22, yet was able to get over towards the stands rail just behind the pace, picked up impressively and kept on well to get the better of Dance Hall Girl (the three horses who chased her home were drawn in stalls four, five and six respectively) with the pair of them coming clear of a field that included several useful maidens. On her second run, her debut this season, she ran well to finish second to Kitty Kiernan, when she had subsequent listed winner Croisultan and subsequent Group 3 winner Air Chief Marshal well behind in third and fourth places respectively. The ground was probably faster than ideal for her that day, and the distance of seven furlongs may have been on the sharp side. Conversely, the nine-furlong trip on Sunday may have just stretched her, for all that she didn't get the run of the race, and she could be seen to best effect dropped back down to a mile. She is progressive and she is talented, and she should be worth following for a little while more at least. She is in the Group 3 Desmond Stakes, run over a mile at Leopardstown in mid-August. She would be taking on older horses and colts in that, but she could well be up to it. Looking further ahead, her entry in the Group 1 Coolmore Matron Stakes back at Leopardstown on Irish Champion Stakes day in September may not be a windmill-tilt.

18th July 2010

© The Irish Field, 24th July 2010

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