A rather weak Group 2 all told, though that is reflective of the state of elite sprinting in Britain as well as Ireland currently. It was run at a good pace, the winner’s finishing speed of 103.4% close to par as, late on, she picked off one who had been a bit more prominent until then.
LADIES CHURCH (110 here, 97 previously) had been well backed to win off a mark of 98 at Royal Ascot and delivered a performance here that suggests she should have won that handicap by a couple of lengths, coming from mid-field and getting up on the line, slightly helped by the way things unfolded but clearly very useful all the same.
MOONEISTA (110 here, 112 previously) had won this the year before and went agonisingly close to a repeat, travelling really strongly tracking the pace before leading approaching the final 1f but joined with less than 100 yards to go and run out of it by a narrow margin, fractionally the best on sectionals in a race run at a good pace.
EQUILATERAL (105 here and previously) has put together a sequence of creditable runs since his return from the sidelines, if at a level slightly below what he was capable of previously, traveling well and improving from mid-field to challenge over 1f out then one paced. A bare 5f has long suited him.
CADAMOSTO (103 here, 108 previously) ran respectably in running on from the rear at this shorter trip.
CASTLE STAR (91+ here, 112? previously) shaped with some encouragement on what was his first run of the campaign, held up travelling comfortably and not unduly knocked about after brief headway.
BROSTAIGH (81 here, 105 previously), a winner at this level at Chantilly the time before, ran poorly for no obvious reason, tracking the pace before finding little.
GEOCENTRIC (80 here, 103 previously) was a bit better than the result, close up before weakening.
LAST CRUSADER (82 here, 108 previously) found nothing after leading in first-time blinkers, though he had done plenty in the first half of the race.
NEW YORK CITY (81 here, 106 previously) never looked like getting into it in first-time blinkers, at a trip that may be on the short side for him now.
