By Tom Frary
After a shift in tone on Saturday, Team Ballydoyle continued to reach a pitch with their 2-year-old crop at The Curragh on Sunday as the regally-bred Concert Hall (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) built to her own crescendo in the G3 Weld Park S. As if the juveniles at Rosegreen have been moved stealthily towards a peak for the all-important autumn scene, the daughter of the G1 Epsom Oaks heroine Was (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) put two uninspiring efforts behind her to deliver on her early promise under Seamie Heffernan. Held up in rear early, the 9-2 shot who had shaped as if she was coming forward with a fourth placing in the course-and-distance G1 Moyglare Stud S. Sept. 12 delivered a sustained run down the outer to collar Sunset Shiraz (Ire) (Time Test {GB}) 50 yards from the line and score by a length. “I'm delighted with her and if she comes out of this okay she'll probably step up and go on to the [Oct. 8 G1] Fillies' Mile [at Newmarket]. She's a hardy lady and is going to improve from racing. She stays well and is a good strong build.”
Runner-up on debut over six furlongs at Fairyhouse July 7, Concert Hall went one better over this track and trip 11 days later before failing to get involved in the Aug. 21 G2 Debutante S. on soft ground again over seven here. In the Moyglare, she was staying on to real effect late to get within a length of the third Sunset Shiraz and so this represented improvement on that bare form. In a race where it paid to come from behind, the winner overcame a bump from Cigamia (Karakontie {Jpn}) a furlong out to wear down the game runner-up who might have been paying for chasing the strong early tempo.
Concert Hall is the fourth foal and first black-type winner out of the aforementioned Was, who is a full-sister to this year's G2 Curragh Cup winner and 2020 G1 Epsom Derby third Amhran Na Bhfiann (Ire), the G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial S. scorer Douglas MacArthur (Ire) and the G3 Prix Cleopatre runner-up Al Naamah (Ire). She is also a full-sibling of the unraced dam of the Listed Prix Charles Laffitte winner and G3 Prix de Flore runner-up Mashael (Fr) who shares Dubawi as a sire with Concert Hall.
The second dam is the Listed Blenheim S. and Listed Rochestown S.-placed Alluring Park (Ire) (Green Desert), a daughter of the high-class dual champion Park Express (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}) which makes her a half-sister to the brilliant five-times group 1-winning champion, Derby hero and prolific sire New Approach (Ire) by Was's sire Galileo. She is also a half to the G3 Matron S. winner and G1 Irish Champion S. and G1 Irish 1000 Guineas-placed Dazzling Park (Ire) (Warning {GB}) who is the second dam of Ballydoyle's past G1 Phoenix S. hero Alfred Nobel (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}). This is also the family of the GII Royal Heroine Mile S. winner and GI Gamely S. runner-up Quiet Oasis (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), who produced this stable's dual G3 Gladness S. winner Lancaster House (Ire) also by Galileo, and this year's G1 Newmarket H. hero Zoutori (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}). Was's yearling is a full-brother to Concert Hall.
Sunday, The Curragh, Ireland
WELD PARK S.-G3, €50,000, Curragh, 9-26, 2yo, f, 7fT, 1:26.70, gd.
1–CONCERT HALL (IRE), 128, f, 2, by Dubawi (Ire)
1st Dam: Was (Ire) (G1SW-Eng, G1SP-Ire, $496,294), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Alluring Park (Ire), by Green Desert
3rd Dam: Park Express (Ire), by Ahonoora (GB)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN. O-D Smith, Mrs J Magnier, M Tabor, Westerberg; B-Was Syndicate (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Seamie Heffernan. €30,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-1-0, $63,966. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sunset Shiraz (Ire), 128, f, 2, Time Test (GB)–Sunny Again (GB), by Shirocco (Ger). (£100,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR). O-Lindsay Laroche; B-Mount Coote Estates (IRE); T-Gavin Cromwell. €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 Blds (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €5,000.
Margins: 1, NK, 1 1/4. Odds: 4.50, 3.30, 7.00.
Also Ran: Trevaunance (Ire), Cigamia, Albula (Ire), Lovely Mana (Ire), Madonnadelrosario (Ire), Pink Fire Lilly (Ire).
Scratched: Hello You (Ire), Tranquil Lady (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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