Curragh

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Shelbourne Hotel Goffs Million

1st 28 Miss Beatrix 6/1 C2F2
2nd 22 Regime 16/1
3rd 8 Drumfire 7/1

Miss Beatrix scoops Goffs Million at Curragh

Kevin Prendergast's Miss Beatrix landed the richest two-year-old race ever run, the inaugural Shelbourne Hotel Goffs Million at the Curragh.

With €985,000 on offer to the winner, 28 went to post but Miss Beatrix proved there is no substitute for class with a resounding one-and-a-quarter-length success at a generous 6-1.

Prendergast's filly won the Group One Moyglare Stud Stakes on her last start and the decision to run her in the feature race rather than against her own sex paid huge dividends.

The big field split into two groups but the majority decided to go to the stands rail.

However, it soon became apparent the far side was the place to be as Declan McDonagh, currently leading the Irish jockeys' title race, sent Miss Beatrix for home with fully two furlongs to run.

Mark Johnston's Drumfire gave chase along with Michael Halford's Emerald Hill and Jeremy Noseda's Laddies Poker, but the bird had flown and the celebrations from McDonagh as he passed the post said it all.

Michael Bell's Regime (16-1) made late headway on the stand side to claim second, with Drumfire (7-1) having to settle for third.

104 Entries Remain As The Shelbourne Hotel Goffs Million Gathers Pace
18/08/06

A total of 104 entries remain in contention for The Shelbourne Hotel Goffs Million following the second forfeit stage. Taking place on Tuesday September 19th at the Curragh, the race is the richest juvenile competition in European racing with a first prize of €1,000,000. The entries include 47 fillies that are also eligible for the Shelbourne Hotel Goffs Fillies Five Hundred on the same day, worth €500,000 to the winner.

There are 22 winners among the entries, including David Wachman’s colt He’s A Decoy, winner of the Listed Kerry Spring Water Rochestown Stakes at Cork in June. Over 50 trainers are represented, with impressive maiden winners coming from Brian Meehan, Mark Johnston, Hughie Morrison and Richard Hannon.

The line up of fillies include Dermot Weld’s recent Gowran Park winner Braydeen, the Jim Bolger trained Finsceal Beo, and the Kevin Prendergast trained winner Miss Beatrix - also placed in the Group 1 Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh recently. The Real Thing is a strong prospect from the Con Collins stable while Barry Hills has a serious contender in the winning filly Silk Blossom, who was also runner up in the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot. Four Sins, an impressive winner of her maiden for John Oxx at the Curragh last week, is also in the running. A full list of entries is available online at www.goffs.com.

The Shelbourne Hotel Goffs Million is the feature race on Ryder Cup Race Day at the Curragh, and is exclusively for graduates of last year’s Goffs Million Sale. Together with the fillies race there is a total prize fund of €2.4 million on offer. With 32 of the entries costing €50,000 or less as yearlings, and a large number of syndicates amongst the owners, the sale represents a realistic chance of winning a million.

Exactly one week after the inaugural Shelbourne Hotel Goffs Million, there will be an opportunity to buy the winners of not one but two such races. Goffs has raised the bar once more by increasing the total prize money for graduates of this year’s sale to €3.2 million. There will be two races in 2007 - one for colts only and another exclusively for fillies, each worth €1 million to the winner. Following unprecedented sales at Goffs last September, this new dimension to the Million Sale is sure to further energise the bloodstock industry and build on the momentum achieved in 2005.

The Goffs Million Sale takes place from the 26th -28th September and the catalogue of 663 yearlings is available now from Goffs and on the Goffs website www.goffs.com. As well as offering great depth and choice, somewhere in this catalogue are a colt and a filly who will each win €1,000,000 in 2007.