Aera
Aera ran a nice race to finish third in the Byrne Marquees Handicap, a nine-and-a-half-furlong handicap. After racing prominently early on, she dropped back through the field so that she was last of the 11 runners as they turned for home. She made good progress for Luke McAteer early in the home straight though and, switched towards the near side among horses, it looked like she might come with a winning run at the two-furlong marker. But her run appeared to flatten out a little inside the final furlong, and Shamad and Pillmakers Hill were just stronger in the finish on the far side.
Even so, it was a really encouraging run from the Soldier Hollow filly on her first run for Tony Mullins. She kept on well to take third place, and the first four came miles clear. She won three of her six races for Jens Hirschberger in Germany, including a fillies conditions race over 10 and a half furlongs, and she was strong in the market before this, her Irish debut. It was her first run for 279 days, and it is reasonable to expect that she will improve for it. Tony Mullins has his horses in really good form, and this filly will be of interest wherever she goes next. She is by Soldier Hollow, and she could benefit from a step up in trip.
Gowran Park, 27th July 2019
Back