Flying Five Glory For Raven's Pass' Romantic Proposal

Eddie Lynam has done more than most to revive the Irish sprinting scene from the doldrums and he was in the limelight again at the end of Sunday's G1 Derrinstown Stud Flying Five S. at The Curragh with the mare Romantic Proposal (Ire) (Raven's Pass). Sent off at 16-1 with just a win in this track's Listed Dubai Duty Free Dash S. to recommend her in a deep renewal, Clipper Logistics' 5-year-old was held up early by Chris Hayes towards the stand's rail before being switched to track the accomplished Dragon Symbol (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}) and Glass Slippers (GB) (Dream Ahead) three lanes wide. Always travelling with menace, she split those English raiders in the last 75 yards and asserted to beat her compatriot A Case of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) by half a length, with a neck back to last year's winner Glass Slippers in third, in this “Win and You're In” contest for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar in November.

“I thought if the rain got into the ground, she had a chance and I quietly fancied her,” Hayes said. “When you're riding for Eddie Lynam in a sprint you are always going to have some sort of chance. When I rode earlier, I knew the ground was juicy and I knew they would go hard and that she would stay. I wanted to ride her cool knowing that she'll come home and I thought she could be in the first three.”

Something of a slow-burner, Romantic Proposal enjoyed her first big day when winning the valuable Scurry H. over an extended six furlongs here last July before finishing fourth in the Listed Curragh Sprint S. and G3 Renaissance S. over six back at this venue. Having started out over a mile as a 3-year-old, she was asked to drop to this trip on her 2021 bow and managed a third in the Listed Sole Power Sprint S. at Naas May 16 before returning here to be runner-up in the June 2 G3 Ballyogan S. reverting to six. Finally making it count in the Dash also over six on the Irish Derby undercard June 26, the bay was adrift of Mooneista (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) and Gustavus Weston (Ire) (Equiano {Fr}) when third in the G2 Sapphire S. over this course and distance last time July 17.

Hayes, who rode the 2015 Flying Five winner Sole Power (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) for this stable, timed this to perfection but was not inclined to self-praise after the event. “There's no point in hiding it, I could have been better on her the last day,” he said. “I rode her with too much confidence on ground which was quick the last day and I met a wall of horses and had to switch.. Today was different, but Eddie said to leave her go forward and she loved it. I still got there too soon. She had been trained for today–Eddie specifically put her away for it and it felt like slow motion for me. I was always confident I was going to get them and I knew she would quicken through that gap on this ground.”

Lynam, who began the turnaround for the Irish sprinters with Sole Power following a lengthy period of seeing the category's major prizes carried off to Britain, commented, “Steve Parkin and Joe Foley let me do what I want and are very easy to train for. My daughter Amy bought her as a foal and bought Soffia as a foal, so you won't see me down to buy many at the sales in future! I always believe an improving filly like her was capable of running a big race and she did everything great. It's six years since I had a group 1 winner–I had gone 30 years without having one and didn't know what they were like, but when you get a bit of a taste for it you want more.”

“I only have 30 horses and [daughter] Sarah has 11. We have a smaller team, but I'm happy and I'm not looking for 100 horses. I'd just like the good ones, to be honest, but they are hard to come by. We are still passionate about it. She's improving and getting faster and I think she'll probably go for the [Oct. 3 G1 Prix de l'] Abbaye–I always thought she needed it soft, but she handled that well and the track at Longchamp doesn't get used much and never gets too bad. I'll talk to Steve, but he wants to keep her in training next year so hats off to him.”

A Case of You was finding his form again for trainer Adrian McGuinness, who said of the runner-up, “He'd been working very well–things went a little wrong in the summer and when l saw a bit of ease in the ground I was happy. He got a peach of a ride and it's my first runner in a group 1 in Ireland. It's onwards and upwards for him and he has loads of opportunities and can travel. I knew he'd stay very well and he's going to improve again. He's not entered in the Abbaye, which is disappointing, but after this I could supplement him.”

Romantic Proposal is out of Playwithmyheart (GB) (Diktat {GB}), who is kin to the G1 Prix de la Foret hero Toylsome (GB) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}) and the G3 Firth of Clyde S. winner Coral Mist (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}). Toylsome's full-sister What a Treasure (Ire) produced the Listed Yeats S. scorer and G1 Futurity Trophy third Western Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}) and the Listed Fairway S. winner Hoarding (Elusive Quality), while the third dam River Jig (Irish River {Fr}) is responsible for the GII Buena Vista H. heroine Dance Parade. She is in turn the dam of the G1 St Leger and G1 Gold Cup hero Leading Light (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}). Playwithmyheart's unraced 3-year-old colt by Mastercraftsman (Ire) is named White Marlin (Ire).

Sunday, The Curragh, Ireland
DERRINSTOWN STUD FLYING FIVE S.-G1, €336,000, Curragh, 9-12, 3yo/up, 5fT, :59.77, gd.
1–ROMANTIC PROPOSAL (IRE), 129, m, 5, by Raven's Pass
     1st Dam: Playwithmyheart (GB), by Diktat (GB)
     2nd Dam: Treasure Trove, by The Minstrel
     3rd Dam: River Jig, by Irish River (Fr)
1ST GROUP WIN, 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€25,000 Wlg '16 GOFNOV; €55,000 Ylg '17 GOFOR). O-Clipper Logistics Group Ltd; B-Fastnet Stud Ltd (IRE); T-Eddie Lynam; J-Chris Hayes. €180,000. Lifetime Record: 17-5-3-3, $376,537. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–A Case of You (Ire), 131, c, 3, Hot Streak (Ire)–Karjera (Ire), by Key of Luck. (€3,000 RNA Ylg '19 GOFSPT). O-Gary Devlin; B-Limestone and Tara Studs (IRE); T-Adrian McGuinness. €60,000.
3–Glass Slippers (GB), 129, m, 5, Dream Ahead–Night Gypsy (GB), by Mind Games (GB). O/B-Bearstone Stud Ltd (GB); T-Kevin Ryan. €30,000.
Margins: HF, NK, HF. Odds: 16.00, 33.00, 3.50.
Also Ran: Dragon Symbol (GB), Rohaan (Ire), Gustavus Weston (Ire), Strong Johnson (Ire), Significantly (GB), Measure of Magic (Ire), Winter Power (Ire), Mooneista (Ire), Frenetic (Ire), Back To Brussels (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.