By Tom Frary
Last seen being inched out by Treasure Trove (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) in The Curragh's G3 Round Tower S. in August, Ocean Quest (Ire) (Sioux Nation) returned with a vengeance at Navan on Saturday to stamp her authority on the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Committed S. Held together early by Shane Foley racing freely in third, the 10-1 shot brushed aside Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never) passing two out en route to a categoric six-length dismissal of that G2 Futurity S.-winning TDN Rising Star, with the 4-5 favourite The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) 3/4 of a length away in third.
“She is a very good filly and Jessie [Harrington] was contemplating stepping up to seven or a mile, but she has a lot of natural speed and was even keen there despite the fact that we were skipping along,” Foley said of the winner, the first part of a listed double for the in-form stable on the card. “She has thickened into a fine filly and is quite keen and forward-going at home and even going down today took me on for the first furlong–she has to have things her way.”
Assistant trainer Kate Harrington added, “She was going to the [G1] Cheveley Park last year and she pulled a muscle the week before, so we put her away for the rest of the season. We knew she was good last year–she won the first two-year-old race of the season and we bided our time with her and let her strengthen up. She'll go to the [G1] Commonwealth Cup, that's what mum said on the phone! Obviously, mum will have a chat with the owners and everything, but it looks like the likely aim at the moment.”
Ocean Quest, who was also third in the valuable Irish EBF Ballyhane S. at Naas at the start of August, is the second foal out of a daughter of the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial scorer and G3 Bahrain Trophy third Zain Al Boldan (GB) (Poliglote {GB}) who also produced the G2 Mehl-Mulhens-Rennen winner Poetic Dream (Ire) (Poet's Voice {GB}) and G3 Prix Francois Boutin scorer Who Knows (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). Her 2-year-old filly Ocean Bliss (Ire) is by El Kabeir, while she also has a yearling filly by Raven's Pass.
IRISH STALLION FARMS EBF COMMITTED S.-Listed, €42,500, Navan, 4-22, 3yo, 5f 164yT, 1:18.31, hy.
1–OCEAN QUEST (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Sioux Nation
1st Dam: Gold Zain (GB), by Aqlaam (GB)
2nd Dam: Zain Al Boldan (GB), by Poliglote (GB)
3rd Dam: Carla (Fr), by Cardoun (Fr)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-J Kirkland & Mrs J M Ryan; B-Dr T K Chah (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington; J-Shane Foley. €25,500. Lifetime Record: GSP-Ire, 4-2-1-1, $78,565.
2–Aesop's Fables (Ire), 136, c, 3, No Nay Never–How's She Cuttin' (Ire), by Shinko Forest (Ire). O-M Tabor/D Smith/Mrs J Magnier/Westerberg; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €8,500.
3–The Antarctic (Ire), 134, c, 3, Dark Angel (Ire)–Anna Law (Ire), by Lawman (Fr). (750,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Magnier,Tabor,Smith,Westerberg,Brant; B-Bally Philip Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €4,250.
Margins: 6, 3/4, 14. Odds: 10.00, 3.50, 0.80.
Also Ran: Shartash (Ire), Cosmic Invasion (Ire).
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