Performance Review
August 2025
We were delighted to get on the board with a pair of fast, three-year-old fillies during the month.
If ever one deserved to get off the mark after a string of seriously consistent runs, it was Stella Alpina, who put up a good performance to win a five-furlong maiden against the boys at Tipperary. She’s a very honest filly for her owner, Clodagh Mitchell. We’ve since gone blacktype hunting with her, and she went up 8lb to a mark of 85 after finishing sixth in the Listed Abergwaun Stakes at Tipperary. We’ll keep rolling the dice with her where we can.
Stella Alpina wins in Tipperary
It looks like Asdana is turning out to be a proper sprinting filly for the Michael and Dympna Deegan too, and she got off the mark this month in a five-furlong handicap at Cork under Sam Coen. She had been running very solidly through the summer so it was lovely to see things fall right for her, getting her head in front. She’s a filly with a smart pedigree, being out of a listed-winning No Nay Never mare.
Asdana gets her head in front in Cork
Party Dress shaped well when finishing second in a Fegentri Series race at Leopardstown, and I think she almost enjoyed the type of ride she was given on the day. She likes to be ridden cold and finished out well. She was probably a little unlucky.
Keilah has been rock solid in her three runs during the month, finishing third at Naas, second at Leopardstown and then third again in a maiden hurdle at Down Royal. With that type of consistency, you’d feel she deserves to get a win to her name again in due course.
It probably worked out a very good run from Great Mover when second in a 10-and-a-half-furlong handicap at Naas, with the winner going on to win again off 9lb higher next time out. That run should set her up nicely to go close next month in a handicap we’re targeting at Gowran Park.
I thought it was also a cracker of an effort from Navy Waters when she finished third at the Galway Festival in a competitive, 18-runner handicap - especially given where she came from. She shouldn’t be far away next time, and there’s a nice mile-and-five-furlong handicap coming up for her at Down Royal in September.
Pause For Peace managed to hit the frame when third on her handicap debut over seven and a half furlongs at Tipperary. She’s got a good page, being closely related to the Racing Post Trophy winner Marcel, so we’re trying our best to get a winning bracket with her for Dave and Sarah Hyland.
Earthsong was another to take a step in the right direction on her first run in a handicap. We stepped her up in trip and she finished third, beaten only a couple of lengths, at Navan for Al Shira'aa Racing. We’ll aim for something suitable again for her this autumn.
We also had Bundle Of Interest finish in the money when third at Roscommon, getting back to more like she’s capable of after finishing down the field at the Curragh previously. She heads to Gowran next for a similar type of race over seven furlongs. In the same colours of COR Racing Syndicate, Phoenix Pairc wasn’t all that far away again in a mile median auction maiden. The second and fourth from that race have gone on to win since, so hopefully that’s a positive for the form.
Racing is obviously very competitive wherever you go in Ireland, but I think we’ll have some nice chances to come over the next few weeks. It’d be lovely to keep the winners coming for our great base of owners and the whole team here at Rathbride.