After failing at Newmarket, Fallen Angel overcame the setback to give trainer Karl Burke a second Classic victory at the Tattersalls Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh.
The daughter of Too Darn Hot, who finished eighth as the favourite in the 1000 Guineas three weeks ago, was a Group One winner at the Kildare track in the Moyglare Stud Stakes last season. However, she displayed her true colours on Irish soil just 45 minutes after stablemate Darnation had won the German 1000 Guineas in Dusseldorf.
Fallen Angel, driven by Danny Tudhope, was the 11-4 market leader that rewarded those who persevered.
Entering the final three furlongs, the challengers were stacked up behind, but Burke's grey found another gear when asked to do so and was well on top, passing the post with two and a quarter lengths in hand over the undefeated A Lilac Rolla. Opera Singer, making her first start since her thrilling performance in the Prix Marcel Boussac in October, also ran creditably in third.
“I was confident we would see a different filly from Newmarket. I was pleased when the rain came, to be fair. She just keeps galloping and stays very, very well,” said Tudhope. “She is very versatile ground-wise and takes everything that comes in her stride.”
Burke said: “She showed last year that she’s top-class. We were disappointed with the Guineas, but I find it hard with three-year-olds – you just don’t know where you are with them. We sent her down to Newmarket fit and she didn’t blow that much afterwards. The ground maybe was a bit quick on the undulations, but that’s looking for excuses – we were beaten fair and square on the day. I knew coming out of the Guineas coming into this race that mentally she was in the right place. She just sparked up, especially in the last week or 10 days, and physically she looked fantastic.”
Coral lowered Fallen Angel's odds from 10-1 to 4-1 for the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, giving her the equal favourite with Newmarket Guineas winner Elmalka. However, she is not guaranteed to start in Berkshire the following month.
The trainer continued, “Amazing, that doesn’t happen very often. This is what we work for. I had cancer late last year and an operation and a bit of chemotherapy. I finished the chemo in December and since then it’s been back to work, we keep going and hopefully, we’re all square. I never took a backwards step, you have to face what’s happening to you and worse things happen to a lot of other people, so you’ve just got to get on with it. I don’t know (about Royal Ascot), we’ll have to have that discussion. We’ve got the option of the French Oaks as well and as you can see she stays very well. We’ll enjoy today and worry about that later.”