By Tom Frary
As a daughter of the six-times top-level-winning dual champion grass mare and record setting ELiTE Sales graduate Tepin (Bernstein), Ballydoyle’s Grateful (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) has a lot to live up to, but she went some way to doing that on Wednesday with a hard-fought success in Fairyhouse’s G3 Darley Irish EBF Stanerra Stakes. Having only her fourth career start in the 14-furlong feature and her third in just over a month after breaking her maiden at The Curragh and finishing sixth in the Listed Irish EBF Naas Oaks Trial last month, the 12-1 shot raced prominently under Ronan Whelan early. Urged to take over two out, the chestnut was pressed to the line by Dancing Tango (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) but dug deep to record a half-length success.
“Wayne [Lordan] said she was quite aggressive and wanted to go forward at Naas, but it was like clockwork today,” Whelan said after riding his first winner for the stable. “I knew once I got on heels after 100 yards I was going to get her back and it worked out well. This is probably the right trip at the moment, but in time she could go further.” Stable representative Chris Armstrong added, “He gave her a lovely ride, kept it uncomplicated, let her stride into it nicely from the top of the straight. She got a bit lonely in front, but she stuck at it well. The plan was, if she ran well here, she’d go to Goodwood for the Lillie Langtry. Then we’ll look at all those nice staying races in the autumn. She’s appreciated that trip, she handles an ease in the ground and she’s a filly to look forward to for the backend. She’s progressing nicely with each run.”
Staying on strongly 💪
Grateful wins the Group 3 @DarleyStallions @IrishEBF_ Stanerra Stakes for Aidan O'Brien and @WhelanRonan 🏆 @Fairyhouse @Ballydoyle | @coolmorestud pic.twitter.com/6wEdRWiUID
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) July 10, 2024
Pedigree Notes
Grateful is the third foal out of the remarkable Tepin, the dual champion grass mare whose winning exploits included a Breeders; Cup Mile and a Queen Anne. Kin to Vyjack (Into Mischief), whose four graded-stakes wins included the GII Kelso Handicap, GII City of Hope Mile Stakes and GII Jerome Stakes, her 2-year-old colt Delacroix (Ire) is by Dubawi (Ire).
Wednesday, Fairyhouse, Ireland
DARLEY IRISH EBF STANERRA STAKES-G3, €70,000, Fairyhouse, 7-10, 3yo/up, f/m, 14fT, 3:01.29, gd.
1–GRATEFUL (IRE), 121, f, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Tepin (2x Champion Grass Mare, MGISW-US, GISW-Can, G1SW-Eng, $4,437,918), by Bernstein
2nd Dam: Life Happened, by Stravinsky
3rd Dam: Round It Off, by Apalachee
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith/Westerberg; B-Tepin Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O’Brien; J-Ronan Whelan. €42,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-0, $58,864. Werk Nick Rating: D. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Dancing Tango (Ire), 135, m, 5, Camelot (GB)–Dream Approach (Ire), by New Approach (Ire). O-Fishdance Limited; B-Fishdance (IRE); T-Joseph O’Brien. €14,000.
3–Magical Zoe (Ire), 135, m, 6, Shantou–Fedaia (Ire), by Anabaa.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€9,000 HRA ’21 GOFFNH; £140,000 HRA ’22 GOFUKA). O-Patrick & Scott Bryceland; B-Mountainview Stud Ltd Tipperary (IRE); T-Henry De Bromhead. €7,000.
Margins: HF, 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 12.00, 6.00, 3.30.
Also Ran: Lily Hart (Ire), Scarlett O’Hara (Fr), Trevaunance (Ire), Starry Heavens (Ire), Countess Of Tyrone (Ire), Esquiline (Fr), Perfect Portrait (GB). Scratched: Thunder Roll (Ire).