There was a notable winner on the Flat for Henry de Bromhead at Cork as Term Of Endearment relished conditions to claim the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks Stakes.
With the weather not too dissimilar to that found in the depths of winter, the Gold Cup and Grand National-winning handler will have felt right at home, and his Sea The Moon filly produced a fine display to down some smart operators and continue on her upwards curve.
Having placed in three of her last five outings, all in stakes company, she was well worth her place in this Group Three event and sent off 9-2 in the hands of Colin Keane it was her stamina that came to the fore as she surged through the rain-soaked ground to register a four-and-a-half-length win over Irish Oaks third Library.
“She’s very game and a tough filly. She’d a very good run at the backend last year behind Yaxeni on very slow ground at Naas,” said the winning jockey.
“She seems to be getting better with racing and is relaxing and giving herself a chance. It’s very hard work.
“I’d say she’s a filly that could go a bit further as she’s relaxing.
“I thought we went a good gallop in the conditions. She ran around a bit but there’s a headwind and we can forgive her that today.”
There was a shock in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms Irish EBF Platinum Stakes as Jim Bolger’s Clever And Cool stole the show with a devastating display.
Sent off at long odds of 20-1, the filly was slowly into stride but quickly went through the gears, and having hit the front approaching the final furlong, galloped on powerfully to finish seven-and-a-half lengths clear of Dermot Weld’s 8-13 favourite Tarawa.
“She was slowly away the last day in the Curragh and there was a false start. She dwelt a bit again today but she handled the conditions and she’s fit and well,” said Ger Flynn, Bolger’s travelling head lad.
“We’re just delighted for Marguerite and all the Bolger family that the filly got black type. She deserved it.
“She’s been knocking on the door in these type of races. She handles every kind of ground and won on good to firm in Naas.
“When she gets out and gets involved in a race as she did today, she’s very good.
“She ran well behind Tenebrism here earlier this year.”
Winning rider Rory Cleary added: “She won her maiden here over six furlongs so she likes this track.
“She jumped a little bit slow but settled into a nice position. She got through the ground well and travelled very strong and picked up nice and smart.
“She’s been running very consistent, she was just a bit unlucky not getting the black type but she got it today.”
The Give Thanks proved to be the last race of the evening, with torrential rain ultimately leaving the track waterlogged in places.
