Fairy Godmother swoops late for Sprint success

Fairy Godmother came from last to first to book her ticket to Royal Ascot in the Coolmore Stud Irish EBF Fillies Sprint Stakes at Naas.

Odds-on backers had their fingers burnt after the Night Of Thunder filly was beaten into second place by the reopposing Sparkling Sea on her racecourse debut three weeks ago and she was a 6-5 favourite to take her revenge in the rematch.

Given a patient ride by Ryan Moore, Fairy Godmother quickened up smartly from the rear of the six-strong field to throw down her challenge fast and late and this time she proved a neck too strong for Sparkling Sea, with California Dreamer close up behind in third.

Paddy Power cut the winner to 5-1 from 10-1 for the Albany Stakes and O’Brien confirmed the meeting as her intended next port of call.

He said: “We thought that she would win the first day, but she was very green and obviously with a first time out two-year-old, anything can happen. The filly that beat her is obviously a very good filly.

“Even though they went slow today, the plan was to drop her in and teach her and we needed to find out what way to ride her in Ascot. Ryan said she’s very classy, gets six furlongs very well, as we saw, and will get seven.

“I’d say she’s an Albany filly, that’s the way she looks. She will have learned a lot from today.”