Eleanora Duse wins Gr.2 Blandford Stakes, Wade Giles is close second in Gr.3 Solonaway Stakes.

Gilltown Stud sire Azamour narrowly missed out on a Pattern race double at the Curragh on Sunday as his daughter Eleanora Duse stayed on gamely to justify favouritism in the Gr.2 Blandford Stakes, and Wade Giles ran well to finish ¾ length second in the Gr.3 Solonoway Stakes.

Already a Listed winner, Eleanora Duse thoroughly deserved this first Group victory as she was an excellent third to the top-class Midday and Snow Fairy on her previous outing in the Gr.1 Yorkshire Oaks. Although Eleanora Duse’s pattern successes have both come over ten furlongs, her jockey Ryan Moore reported that the filly was even better over a mile and a half. The Ballymacoll Stud homebred is still improving and will remain in training next season with Sir Michael Stoute.

Earlier in the afternoon, the lightly-raced Wade Giles was held up in the early stages of the one mile Solonoway Stakes. He made good progress in the final couple of furlongs and finished less than a length from the winner Steinbeck who is now likely to step up to Gr.1 company. Arazan, the half-brother to Wade Giles’s sire Azamour, also put in a decent performance to take fourth place on his return to the track after being absent since his juvenile days when he was the winner of the Gr.2 Futurity Stakes and third in the Gr.1 National Stakes.

Wade Giles was racing for just the fourth occasion in his career, after a pair of successes this summer and a fourth place in Listed company at Killarney, once again behind Steinbeck. Like Eleanora Duse, the colt is a progressive type and his trainer Ger Lyons feels that he will be at his best in 2011. He is owned by new investors Pearl Bloodstock and may attempt a new Irish Gr.3 in a few weeks’ time.

Eleanora Duse’s dam Drama Class returned to Gilltown Stud this spring where she was covered this time by champion racehorse Sea The Stars, after foaling a Dalakhani filly. The blue-blooded Arc winner’s stellar book of mares also included the dams of Arc Trial winners Behkabad and Duncan.

Updated on 14/09/2010.