The only three-year-old in the four-strong field, Masaff (Raven’s Pass) tried to make all in last night’s Listed Lenebane Stakes at Roscommon. The chestnut led the runners in single file, gradually increasing the tempo in the second half of the 1m4f contest, but he was headed at the 2f marker by the favourite, the year older Downdraft.
The son of Camelot quickened best of all and held on to the line by half a length from Massif Central (Arcano), with Masaff staying on for third, less than two lengths behind.
The winner, trained by Joseph O’Brien for OTI Racing, had won twice early last season, but his only previous foray into Stakes company had seen him finish last in the Gr.1 Grand Prix de Paris.
He had won the first of three previous outings this campaign, a conditions contest on the Dundalk all-weather, and was a staying on sixth in the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Downdraft was bred by Airlie Stud and is a half-brother to the Gr.1 Moyglare Stud Stakes victrix Chelsea Rose (Desert King; dam of the dual Gr.1 winner Kew Gardens and Gr.3 winner Thawaany) and the Irish Listed winner European (Great Commotion), who was later Gr.3-placed in the US. Their dam Cinnamon Rose (Trempolino) is a winning half-sister to Group/ Graded winners River Warden (Riverman) and Sweettuc (Spectacular Bid).
Downdraft will now be prepared for the Ebor Handicap on August 24 at York, the 2019 edition will be the first £1-million handicap race on the Flat in Europe.
See below to view the replay of Downdraft’s Listed win:
