By Sean Cronin
Joseph O'Brien trainee Agartha (Ire) (Caravaggio) was winless in four prior outings and went postward for Thursday evening's G3 Frank Conroy Silver Flash S. at Leopardstown as an almost unconsidered 16-1 outsider coming back off a two-length second to the 'TDN Rising Star' performance of Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) tackling this seven-furlong strip at the Foxrock venue earlier in the month. The February-foaled bay had placed behind decent sorts in all races contested to date, including a third to the reopposing G3 Albany S. fourth Prettiest (Dubawi {Ire}) in a May 30 Navan maiden and a second to subsequent Listed Tipperary S. victrix Sacred Bridge (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) contesting a June 23 maiden over six furlongs at Naas in her penultimate start. The eventual winner was sharply into stride and soon held sway with a two-length buffer. Allowed a breather rounding the home turn, she was asked to stretch passing the quarter-mile marker and was driven out inside the final furlong to shed maiden status in style, becoming the second black-type winner for her freshman sire (by Scat Daddy). Agartha hit the line with 2 3/4 lengths to spare from Juncture (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), with a half-length back to Seisai (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) in third.
“We've always had a very high opinion of her, she's done nothing but improve with each run and she's been running very well,” said winning trainer Joseph O'Brien. “Today we said we'd let her bowl along and she loved it. Maybe we were restricting her a bit much before and letting her bowl along today allowed her to get into a great rhythm. She galloped, they didn't let her go and they followed her along all the way. She's a good filly and I'd say she'll go further too. The dam won a mile-and-six [furlong] Listed race so she could certainly go a mile at two anyway. We'll probably head for the [G2] Debutante with her now.”
Agartha, half-sister to a yearling colt by Churchill (Ire), is the first of two foals produced by Listed Stanerra S. victrix and G3 Irish St Leger Trial third Arya Tara (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}). Arya Tara is the leading performer out of a winning half-sister to G1 Prix Ganay-winning sire Astarabad (alleged) and Listed Trigo S. victrix Asmara (Lear Fan). Descendants of the latter include MG1SW sire Azamour (Ire) (Night Shift), MG1SW Australian champion The Autumn Sun (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) and G1SP G2 Futurity S.-winning sire Arazan (Ire) (Anabaa).
Thursday, Leopardstown, Ireland
FRANK CONROY SILVER FLASH S.-G3, €50,000, Leopardstown, 7-22, 2yo, f, 7f 20yT, 1:29.55, gd.
1–AGARTHA (IRE), 128, f, 2, by Caravaggio
1st Dam: Arya Tara (Ire) (SW & GSP-Ire), by Dylan Thomas (Ire)
2nd Dam: Anadiyla (Ire), by Barathea (Ire)
3rd Dam: Anaza (Ire), by Darshaan (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O-Mrs A M O'Brien; B-Whisperview Trading Ltd (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien; J-Declan McDonogh. €30,000. Lifetime Record: 5-1-2-2, $46,218. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Juncture (GB), 128, f, 2, Dark Angel (Ire)–Occurrence (GB), by Frankel (GB). O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Ger Lyons. €10,000.
3–Seisai (Ire), 128, f, 2, Gleneagles (Ire)–Lillebonne (Fr), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). (€40,000 Wlg '19 GOFNOV; £78,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR). O-Simon Munir & Isaac Souede; B-Peter Henley, John Connolly & Pattern Bloodstock (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €5,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, HF, 1HF. Odds: 16.00, 2.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Prettiest, Sablonne (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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