Shandy triumphed at Naas

Fozzy Stack executed a masterful strategy to achieve a 50-1 upset in the Tally-Ho Stud Irish EBF Ballyogan Stakes with Shandy at Naas.

In a race where only two horses ventured away from the rest of the field, which stuck to the far side of the track, both were trained by Stack. While the more favoured You Send Me soon signalled distress, Shandy, under Andrew Slattery, remained in contention throughout.

As the 15-8 favourite Firebird emerged from the pack and gained a clear advantage on the far side, the two horses were separated by the width of the track as they crossed the line. It was Shandy, the huge outsider, who narrowly secured victory by a head.

Stuart Williams’ Pandora’s Gift finished third, while David O’Meara-trained Nighteyes came last, appearing to have something amiss.

Stack reflected on Shandy’s victory, saying, “She performed well in the Listed race here previously and won the race on her side today.  We were drawn in stalls 11 and 12, which is a less favourable position, so we took a chance with our strategy, and it paid off. The ease in the ground was beneficial, as she prefers softer conditions. We also experimented with different hoods to address her tendency to over-race, and everything came together today.”