Stable News
13-11-2007Dalvina powers home to Grade Success in USA
It was a bitter sweet pill for trainer Ed Dunlop on Sunday evening as Dalvina powered home from last to first to land the Grade III Long Island Handicap at Aqueduct on her last run under the Ed Dunlop Racing banner.
Ridden by top east coast jockey Cornelio Valesquez, Dalvina was a little slow to break in the mile and half contest and had to be content with sitting at the rear of the field early on. She travelled superbly throughout the race and turning in for home she produced an incredible turn of foot and cruised home, past the likes of Royal Highness (Beverley D winner) and Barancella (third in E P Taylor) to win the race by three and a half lengths.
“At the quarter-pole, when I put her in the clear, she took off,” Velasquez said. “She is a very, very nice filly.”
Dalvina
This was a thoroughly deserved victory for Dalvina. Having got her season off to such a promising start when winning the Pretty Polly Stakes by six lengths back in May, Dalvina disappointed in the Oaks, where she did not appear to handle the track or the rain softened ground. She bounced back to form to finish third in the Group 2 Blandford Stakes.
Dalvina will now stay in the USA where she will be trained by Graham Motion.
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