Rock Of Gibraltar Filly Strides Clear To Group 3 Victory

The Dermot Weld-trained Kastasa (3f Rock Of Gibraltar - Kasanka, by Galileo) continues to go from strength to strength as she ran out an impressive seven length winner of the Group 3 Loughbrown Stakes at the Curragh on Saturday.

The Aga Khan homebred had won her last three starts, most recently successful in the valuable Petingo Handicap on Irish Champions Weekend. Stepping up to two miles and Stakes company for the first time, she soon settled behind the leader and waited until approaching the straight to pick up the pace. Travelling well when leading two furlongs out, she raced clear under Andrew Slattery and remained unchallenged.

Dermot Weld has high hopes for Kastasa, commenting after the race, “Kastasa is improving all the time and the way she found another gear off such a fast pace, we would hope that she's a Gold Cup filly for next year.”

The daughter of Rock Of Gibraltar is the best performer out of Kasanka, a half-sister to Irish Leger heroine Kastoria, who was beaten the shortest of margins in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase.