Frankel pair help light up proceedings at Leopardstown
By Racing TV
Last Updated: Tue 5 Dec 2023
By Racinguk.com staff
Lightening Quick made a highly-pleasing debut when getting up in the dying strides to claim the Ballylinch Stud Irish EBF Fillies Maiden at Leopardstown.
A daughter of Frankel out of 2011 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Lightening Pearl, the Ger Lyons-trained juvenile was delivered with a late burst by Colin Keane to snatch the spoils.
Ryan Moore sent Bye Bye Baby into the lead soon after the start and she looked all over the winner until being overhauled in the shadow of the post by the 6-1 winner, who scored by a neck.
Lyons said: "She's very like her mother as she needed every yard of the trip to get up and win today. She holds an entry in the Cheveley Park, a race that her mother won, but the decision we have to make is do we bring her back in trip. At the minute I would say 'no'.
"It was a good performance and the first two have finished over four lengths ahead of the rest. She is a filly we liked initially but the last two weeks her work has just been average.
"Gary (Carroll) and Colin kept saying to me she is only dossing and going through the motions at home, so run her. I'm pleasantly surprised, but it's what we saw early doors - maybe the closer you get to a race the watery a trainer gets!
"We aimed her for this from way back as the timing is right for the Cheveley Park. We'll have to sit down and decide is it the right thing.
Lightening Quick gets on top at Leopardstown (Racingfotos.com)
"Her mother was the same. She gave me the impression that she wanted a mile after her first start, and she got faster and faster. It's a lovely high-class problem to have. She will run again somewhere this year, but it's just a question of where."
Earlier, Nelson, a son of Frankel, made virtually all the running to take the Group Three spoils in the Willis Towers Watson Champions Juvenile Stakes.
Nelson led home a one-two-three for the Aidan O'Brien stable as he ran his rivals ragged in the hands of the trainer's son Donnacha.
Nelson (11-2) opened his account over the course and distance in similar fashion three weeks earlier and the tactics worked again. Galloping on strongly, Nelson came home clear from Kew Gardens, with stable first choice Delano Roosevelt only third.
The winning rider said: "He kept galloping all the way to the line. It was a nice performance. I thought I'd gone a nice, even pace. I quickened from the bend and thought it would take a good one to get me."
Nelson was cut to 16-1 from 33-1 for the Investec Derby with Paddy Power. RaceBets go 25-1 from 33-1.
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