Saxon Warrior Filly Earns Stakes Target

Umala (3f Saxon Warrior – Pyrean, by Teofilo) built on a promising debut to justify favouritism in Friday’s fillies’ maiden at Dundalk.

The Adrian Murray-trained bay finished third over a mile at the track in January, with the form boosted when runner-up Athlumney Warrior (Saxon Warrior) subsequently won. Umala was sent off favourite as she stepped up to ten and a half furlongs on Friday and made all of the running under Colin Keane. Ridden when challenged two furlongs from home, she kept on gamely to win by half a length, with another two lengths back to Camevere (Camelot) in third.

A €120,000 yearling buy, Umala is owned by Amo Racing and Giselle De Aguiar. Representing Amo, Ryan McElligott commented: “She was quite green and raw when she ran here over a mile back in February. We definitely felt the longer trip would play to her strengths.

“She'll have no problem going a mile and a half and she loved that surface, so you'd think a nice sound surface at the height of the summer would be no problem to her.”

On future targets, McElligott said: “I suppose when you get a filly like her, you have to be thinking of stakes races next and there's the Listed Yeats Stakes in Navan next month over a mile and five furlongs, which is an option. She will keep progressing and will be even better again next year.”

The promising daughter of Saxon Warrior was bred by Barouche Stud.