Stakes Glory For Yorshire Connections As Nighteyes Thunders Home At Naas
Nighteyes completed a good evening for North Yorkshire stables when winning the Listed Yeomanstown Stud EBF Stakes over 6f at Naas yesterday. Little more than an hour after Karl Burke’s Miss Lamai had put her name on the scoresheet, the David O’Meara-trained and Danny Tudhope-ridden three-year-old Nighteyes matched the feat with a first strike at Stakes level. The 13-runner field of fillies and mares almost immediately split into two groups, with Apricot Ice showing in front on the far side and Amazon Lady in pole position closer to the stands’ side rail. Nighteyes, waited with behind Amazon Lady, began to weave around looking for racing room with two furlongs to run, before taking a gap on the rail a furlong out. She swept through to lead 75 yards from home and went on to win readily by three lengths, appearing to have more up her sleeve as she crossed the line. Over The Blues finished second and Letherfly was third.
Tudhope said “I didn’t plan on being as far back but she was a bit anxious in the stalls and missed the beat a little bit, although in hindsight it wasn’t a bad thing. She’s definitely got ability and is improving all the time.
“As a two-year-old we thought she was pretty good but things didn’t fall right for her and she bumped into one or two nice ones but has progressed into a lovely three-year-old. She’s done nothing wrong this season, keeps improving and deserves to win a Listed race.
“The ways the races have been run tonight, the winners are coming up the near side and she picked up well up the stands’ side and won well. I’m delighted and it’s great for the owners (Akela Thoroughbreds Limited).”
Owned by Akela Thoroughbreds Limited and a 150,000gns purchase by Jason Kelly Bloodstock at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Nighteyes shed her maiden tag in a Ripon novice last August. She was unplaced at Yarmouth on her return this spring, when officially rated just 80, but has since won handicaps at Chester and Haydock, and finished third in Listed company at Sandown, to propel herself quickly up the ratings. Bred by Owenstown Bloodstock Ltd, she is the second winner out of the Gr.3 Ballyogan Stakes heroine Penny Pepper.
