Chief Little Hawk swoops in to take huge Naas pot to set off Heffernan treble

The inaugural running of Ireland’s richest two-year-old race saw Aidan O’Brien’s Chief Little Hawk spring a 22-1 surprise at Naas on Sunday.

Owned by the Coolmore Stud partners, Chief Little Hawk got the better of a thrilling finish with Sheikh Hamdan's Monaasib to land the €350,000 Ballyhane Stakes.

It initiated a massive 5,277-1 hat-trick for in-form jockey Séamus Heffernan.

If the finish of the main contest itself lived up to expectations then an outcome between two of racing’s biggest and most powerful operations ran rather counter to the new race’s billing.

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Restricted to progeny of sires whose produce had a median price of under €75,000 at last year’s public auctions, the concept was an opportunity for ‘little guys’ to be in with an encouraging shot at winning a hugely lucrative pot before some of this year’s yearling sales.

Instead one of Ballydoyle’s lesser lights scooped the €150,000 first prize, a sum that probably represents small change within the Coolmore empire.

The US bred Chief Little Hawk got the better of a short head nod against Monaasib with the 50-1 outsider Mooneista emerging best of the rest in third.

Joseph O’Brien’s State Of Rest was fourth, one place better than her stable companion Bolleville managed in Deauville in the Prix Jean Romane run almost simultaneously to the Naas contest.

Ironically that Group One was worth less than half the Ballyhane and victory for the 33-1 English outsider Audarya over the local hope Ambition was a rare outcome minus the usual top-flight suspects.

If the massive money on offer at Naas saw everyone of the 19 runners get at least €5,000 it was still the Ballydoyle powerhouse that ultimately emerged on top.

“Today was his first try at six furlongs and he got it real well. There is a chance that he might get another furlong and if he does he’s got loads of speed to travel right,” Heffernan reported.

“I thought I’d won. But at Killarney the other day I thought I’d won well and it was only a nose [on So Wonderful in a Listed race.] So maybe my eyesight isn’t as good as it was!” the veteran rider added.

Immediately afterwards Heffernan praised the Ballyhane Stud owners in Co Carlow for their initiative, pointing also to their sponsorship of a later €80,000 consolation contest for those horses that didn’t make the highlight.

In that too it was Heffernan who emerged on top, this time on Sweet Gardenia who won for the first time in her career for Co Cork trainer John Murphy.

She completed a superb big-race hat-trick for her jockey who squeezed in a Group Three success in between the restricted contests on board Passion.

The Irish Oaks third dominated from the front to win at 7-2 from the outsider Traisha. The 6-5 favourite Kastasa could manage only third.

Separately, Deauville’s other Group One, the Prix Morny, saw Frankie Dettori’s decision to stay in France – and skip York’s Ebor festival – pay off in style on the US filly Campanelle.

The Wes Ward-trained star emulated Lady Aurelia by adding the six-furlong feature to victory in Royal Ascot’s Queen Mary Stakes in June.

Rather than return to Britain, and face a quarantine period due to coronavirus, Dettori opted to say in Deauville after landing last Sunday’s Marois on Palace Pier.

“Wesley was very confident. I knew I had a good filly but I was worried about the ground. Her class came through.

“She’s been here all week. I’ve seen her every day and, being honest, she’s half asleep in the box. But she knows what it’s all about and was ready to go. She’s a very smart two-year-old,” the Italian said.

“The Cheveley Park is an obvious target and I’m sure the idea of the Breeders’ Cup over a mile might come into it but over a mile that’s a different ball game,” Dettori added.

Campanelle wound up two lengths too good for the Coventry Stakes winner Nando Parrado.