Grace O’Malley posted a battling performance to record her first Group win on only her third racecourse appearance on Sunday. Having taken the lead with a furlong and a half to run in the mile-and-a-half contest, the daughter of Refuse To Bend stayed on well despite a strong challenge from the runner-up Tanoura.
The three-year-old filly, who is trained by Dermot Weld for his mother, was bred by Paddy Twomey's Hawthorn Villa Stud from the Darshaan mare Lionne, a half-sister to Mark Of Esteem's Derby-winning son Sir Percy.
This was not the only successful outcome for this particular cross this week as Refuse To Bend’s two winners at Navan on Friday were both out of Darshaan mares. Two-year-old Rigid Rock, who is out of Delia and was bred by Martin Butler, took the five-furlong maiden while the Aga Khan’s Alaiyma, a daughter of Alasana, recorded her second win in the mile handicap.
Following the win of Mastery (Sulamani) in the Derby Italiano last month, Godolphin came close to landing a second major Italian Group race this season with Age Of Reason, who finished a length second in the G1 Gran Premio di Milano. The four-year-old son of Halling has won twice this year already, including the valuable Qatar International Cup at Doha in February.
