We head to sunny Galway, Ireland, and with the jumping out of the way on the first half of the card, thirteen 2-year-olds headed out for a 7-furlong maiden on a heavy track.
After finishing a disinterested 11th at Gowran Park on debut, the Joseph O’Brien-trained filly Sigh No More went off at 14/1. That looked grossly under the odds as Declan McDonogh was hard at work on the daughter of Starspangledbanner to stay five lengths astern of the second-last horse at the halfway mark.
Roused along to pick off a few stragglers on straightening, Sigh No More didn’t rate a mention until 50 metres from the finish. Then, with a Chautauqua-like burst of acceleration, she passed the leaders like they were nailed to the ground to win by almost two lengths.
“She was sluggish early and did not travel,” McDonogh told Racing TV.
Sigh No More blitzes them (image Galway Races)
“I let her find her feet, and she devoured the ground when she hit the hill. She could be a nice filly.
“I imagine she learned a lot from her first outing. From the 3f, she started to travel and kept picking off one after another.
“I’ll hazard a guess and say I was 15 lengths off the leaders at the furlong pole.
And a bonus to boot (image Galway Races)
“She was like Frankel in the last furlong.”
Bred by Barronstown Stud, Sigh No More was a €50,000 purchase for her trainer from Book 1 of the 2023 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale.
A half-sister to Listed winner Neptune Rock (Muhaarar) and the recent stakes-placed No Nay Never filly Unreasonable, Sigh No More is the fifth winner from six to race for the unraced Galileo filly Silent Thoughts, a half-sister to Group III winner Yellow Rosebud and Listed winner Seeharn.
Starspangledbanner stands at Coolmore Stud for $44,000
