Obama Rule

There didn't appear to be any real fluke about Obama Rule's victory in the Group 3 Dance Design Stakes at The Curragh on Sunday. She was the winner on merit and, despite the fact that she was a maiden going into the race, and that she was allowed go off at 16/1, it could be well worthwhile following her again. The Joanna Morgan-trained filly was held up out the back of the field through the early stages by Declan McDonogh, and there is a temptation to conclude that she benefited unusually from that tactic, but there is no reason to suppose that she did, it wasn't as if they went too fast up front. The John Oxx-trained Shareen did set a fair pace, but it wasn't breakneck, it wasn't so fast so as to be to the detriment of the prominent racers' chances. Actually, Shareen would have been a pillar-to-post victor had Obama Rule not been in the race, and the filly that chased the front pair home, Miss Laa Di Da, raced handily throughout. The winner did enjoy a charmed run up the inside rail, but she still had to make progress there, which she did fairly eye-catchingly before finishing with a flourish, still having the strength and the inclination to go through a small enough gap between Shareen and Miss Laa Di Da well inside the final furlong, and win well.

This was just Obama Rule's third ever run. Although she hadn't won prior to this, she had run really well on her previous run to finish second to the highly-regarded debutant Vita Venturi in a 10-furlong maiden at The Curragh in July, the pair of them finishing clear of their rivals. That was just her second ever run, so it was reasonable to assume that she would improve for it. She showed a nice turn of foot here to quicken up off a fast pace, and she showed a lot of courage and stamina to carry her effort through and win going away, beating a useful sort in Shareen into second place. It would not be at all surprising to see her improve again for this run, and she would not be at all out of place if she took up her engagement in the Group 2 Blandford Stakes at The Curragh next Sunday.

29th August 2010

© The Irish Field, 4th September 2010

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