The rising 8yo gelding Irish Songs earned a second stakes success fourteen months after his first to claim the Listed Glasshouse Hcp (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast.
Ridden by Larry Cassidy for Louise White, the son of Shamus Award stormed down the centre of the track to defeat Cepheus (GB) (Sea The Stars) by a half-length, with Aureus Angel (Turffontein) three-quarters of a length back in third.
The winner of the Listed National Stakes at Canberra, when trained by Kurt Goldman, Irish Songs advances his record to nine wins, three seconds, and nine thirds from 59 starts with earnings of $884,580.
Irish Songs’ owner Lex Nichols purchased the 7yo son of Shamus Award for $30,000 on Inglis Digital in December and had his first start for the Sunshine Coast-based Louise White in January.
“He’s a beautiful horse and it’s a great result for the owner, I’ve trained for him from the beginning,” White said.
“He hasn’t been in the best of health but winning races is the best form of medicine, so I’m sure this will perk him up.
“He got balloted out of the BRC Sprint, so we had come up with another plan, and it’s all worked out perfectly in the end. He’s a lovely happy horse to have around the stable, so it’s great to get a result like this and for the staff to be rewarded for all their efforts.
Larry Cassidy praised the way White has handled the veteran as he far from straightforward.
“All honours to Louise and her staff, because they’ve done a great job with this guy,” Cassidy said.
“He really isn’t an easy horse to ride, you have to bounce him and ride him hard early, but then you can’t restrain him.
“At about the 700-metre mark I had to get off Kyle Wilson-Taylor’s back, because I just couldn’t hold the horse any more. So I was happy to be three wide, because if you let him flow into the race he enjoys it. His previous two starts, even though he hasn’t been beaten far, he hasn’t been able to flow into the race but today was a different story.”
Grant Goldman shelled out $140,000 for Irish Songs from the Attunga Stud draft at the 2017 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale.
He is the first foal and only runner to date out of the talented Johar (USA) mare Lucky Songs.
A half-sister to Group II Wakefield Challenge Stakes winner and Group 1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes runner-up Captain Fantastic (Fantastic Light), Lucky Songs was an 8-time winner for John Morrissey in Queensland.
Lucky Songs has a yearling colt by Universal Ruler.
