Miss Amulet impresses with Listed success in Naas feature under Billy Lee

Miss Amulet provided Ken Condon with another notable winner when quickening by odds-on favourite Frenetic in the Arqana Irish EBF Marwell Stakes at Naas.

Condon has already landed the Railway Stakes with Laws Of Indices and the Minstrel Stakes with Romanised this season, as well as winning with a couple of promising juveniles.

Miss Amulet (12-1) looked to have plenty to find with Frenetic on the figures, with Ger Lyons’ filly talked of as a possible Nunthorpe contender later in the month.

Having finished behind Johnny Murtagh’s Measure Of Magic last time out, Miss Amulet found that rival blocking her path as she travelled well in behind Frenetic – but when the gap finally appeared she shot through it for Billy Lee to win by three-quarters of a length.

“Even before today she was very well bought (£7,500) by Michael O’Donoghue of the BBA, she’s a scopey filly and really progressive,” said Condon.

“That was wonderful, she was obviously one of the outsiders but back on a conventional track as opposed to Down Royal she’s won very well having travelled strongly.

“Billy was very pleased and said she’s getting stronger all the time and enjoying her racing as well as improving for it.

“We were 3lb better off with Johnny’s filly, but I don’t think that was the difference – it was more to do with the track and a bit slower ground, Naas is more demanding.”

He added: “We’ll raise our sights now, we’re never afraid to lose which is a good way to look at racing. She’ll be entered in the Lowther or something like that. We’ll look for a Group race over five or six furlongs, I’m sure she’ll get six.

“She’s obviously progressing so she’s entitled to take her chance, that was a nice performance today.

“We’ve a nice bunch of two-year-olds, a couple won first time out at the Curragh, so it’s a nice position to be in.”

Investec Derby third Amhran Na Bhfiann had to settle for second on his return to action at Naas as Dermot Weld’s Zawara recorded an impressive victory.

Sent off at 66-1 in the Classic, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Amhran Na Bhfiann outran those odds behind stablemate Serpentine, but could not get his head in front dropped back to 10 furlongs and sent off the 8-15 favourite.

Epsom winner Serpentine has yet to run, but runner-up Khalifa Sat and fifth English King were well beaten at Goodwood last week, while the fourth home, 2000 Guineas winner Kameko, suffered a troubled passage in the Sussex Stakes.

Only Mogul, another O’Brien-trained colt, has so far boosted the Classic form with his win in the Gordon Stakes.

Amhran Na Bhfiann was allowed to make the running in the Nursery of Champions Maiden over 10 furlongs, but Weld’s filly always looked like she might have his measure.

To his credit, Amhran Na Bhfiann, who was giving away 10lb to the filly including Gavin Ryan’s 5lb claim, battled back but went down by three-quarters of a length, with the pair seven lengths clear of the third. It emerged post-race the runner-up had returned lame.

Weld said of his 9-4 winner: “I just thought we’d take a chance getting 10lb from the Derby horse. She had the 5lb fillies’ allowance and I felt Gavin’s claim might tip it our way.

“She’s a lovely filly and ran a nice race here on her debut. She’s a very progressive filly and loves a little ease in the ground.

“We’ll see if we can win a stakes race with her next. She’s bred to be a good filly.

“She has taken a little time, but I love to have some patience with these nice fillies and she fits into that bracket.”