Damson's odds for next season's 1000 Guineas were cut all round after David Wachman's filly beat the colts in the Independent Waterford Wedgwood Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh yesterday.
Both Wachman, who was saddling his first Group One winner, and jockey Kieren Fallon expressed themselves delighted with the outcome after the Guineas favourite beat Oratorio and Russian Blue.
The trainer said: "She's so switched off. Kieren said it's only a matter of pressing the button. She seems so relaxed in behind horses. It's a big relief to have that over with and we'll think about the Cheveley Park now." Fallon, riding the unbeaten filly for the first time, was always confident he had his rivals' measure.
"She was always going well within herself," he said. "She's very laid-back and switched off." After the daughter of Entrepreneur had become the first of her sex since Eva Luna in 1994 to win the prestigious contest, Ladbrokes cut her to 10-1 from 12-1, while Coral go 14-1 from 16-1 and William Hill and local layers Cashmans 12-1 from 14-1 for the Newmarket Classic next May.
The field for the feature event was reduced to six following the defection of Carnegie Hall with a bruised foot. As soon as the race was under way Jamie Spencer settled Aidan O'Brien's Russian Blue at the front, tracked by his stable companion Oratorio, with Damson tucked away on the rails.
As the two leaders increased the tempo with a quarter of a mile to go, Fallon just had to shake Damson up to take closer order. He then went for a narrow gap between the front two and the 8-11 favourite proved very brave as she squeezed through to take the lead a furlong out.
She needed to be kept up to her work to hold Oratorio by three-quarters of a length, with a half-length back to Russian Blue. The first three were five lengths clear of the remainder.