Skitter Skatter bags Group One honours in Moyglare Stud Stakes

Skitter Scatter continued her rise through the ranks with a clear-cut success in the Moyglare Stud Stakes at the Curragh.

It was a dream result for trainer Patrick Prendergast and jockey Ronan Whelan, and by far the biggest success of both of their careers.

However, victory looked some way off two furlongs out as Skitter Scatter did not pick up immediately and Lady Kaya cruised up alongside the pace-setting Main Edition.

When Lady Kaya hit the front she looked home for all money, but as he stamina began to ebb away Skitter Scatter clicked into overdrive and ended up running out a convincing two-length winner.

The 7-2 favourite had won a Group Three and a Group Two on her penultimate races and now has a Group One on her growing C.V.

Skitter Scatter was cut to 20-1 from 33s for next year’s Qipco 1000 Guineas.

“I’m quite astounded with good she is. I was thinking that maybe we would come here run well and have a chance of running well in the Guineas next year. Now I’m thinking that maybe she could win the Guineas,” said a thrilled winning trainer.

“Coming into the race my worry was that it had been a long year for her but she’s just kept going and improving and she’s started to grow lately so she won’t be so small anymore.

“The beauty of a small yard like ours is that everyone is so closely involved with every horse and it may sound like a cliché but I’m just a cog in the wheel.

"My brief was to win a maiden with her. She is one of the best bred fillies ever to come into my yard and ordinarily she would have been sold well before know but Anthony and Mrs Rogers were adamant that they were going to race her and I’m very grateful to them.

“The Breeders Cup would be an exciting thing to do but we need to be careful with the filly and I would really hate to go to the well once too often with her this year."

Prendergast has formed a strong alliance with jockey Ronan Whelan and Whelan too was basking in the biggest day of his career.

Whelan said; “She is the filly that just keeps giving. We went a right good gallop and coming to the two furlong pole I just wanted to follow the fancied runners but I don’t know what happened.

“She seemed to just hit a flat spot and lost a little momentum and I thought they got away from me but she just kept finding and was even running around a bit at the finish. Trip, ground, nothing seems to be a problem to her.

“The biggest thing about this for me is to be able to repay Patrick and all his staff for having the faith in me to ride all their horses. It’s just an incredible feeling.”