Three Performances From The Weekend - 24/05/21

Flotus for Simon & Ed Crisford stepped up for her debut at Goodwood on Saturday and made a very special impression and for that reason is worth keeping an eye on from now on.

The two year old daughter of Starspangledbanner is exceptionally bred being bought for €65,000 as a foal and was then resold for 125,000gns as a yearling.

With big things expected from her, the juvenile stepped up for her debut on Saturday at Goodwood over 6f and she ran out an exceptional winner by close to five lengths.

What was taking about this horse was the way she went away from the field in the final stages, showing a clear burst of speed and stamina to stay out the trip well.

All roads now lead to the Group Three Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot and after her superb debut performance she is now a best price of 5/1 to take the event.

Mac Swiney was the superb winner of the Irish 2000 Guineas on Saturday, giving his trainer Jim Bolger a win in the English and Irish classic event this season.

The son of New Approach was a smart juvenile topping off last season at Doncaster in the Group One Vertem Futurity Stakes, when taking the event in heavy ground.

He returned as a three year old this term looking set to go for the Derby having ran in the Group Three Derrinstown Derby Trial over 10f at Leopardstown.

However, after finishing a tame fourth behind the impressive Bolshoi Ballet, Bolger decided to revert him back to the mile, with the bad also being put down to a respiratory infection being found after the race.

Mac Swiney back at a mile and on his preferred testing conditions saw him narrowly see off stablemate Poetic Flare to land the event.

It is now all systems go for the Epsom Derby with the handler praying to get some rain before the off, he is now a best price of 15/2.

Finally, the final horse that put up a special performance as the Aidan O'Brien outsider Empress Josephine, who rallied late to see off stablemate Joan Of Arc in the Irish 1000 Guineas.

The daughter of Galileo made a very impressive debut this term when winning well at Naas on debut over a mile in a maiden, showing how well she stays the trip.

That win came on soft ground and it seems to be her preferred conditions, having then gone to Leopardstown next time out in the 1000 Guineas Trial and never ran her race on good ground.

Given another chance, she was sent into a Listed event at Gowran and finished a much better second behind the smart type Too Soon To Panic.

That set her up perfectly for her first try at Group One Level and in the final strides of the race on Sunday she just managed to get up for Seamie Heffernan.

She looks as though she could go further, but staying well at a mile could also see her stay over this trip for the term.