Dame Kiri (Justify) Breaks Maiden At Naas

Justify Daughter Romps to 10-Length Victory

Justify’s blue blooded juvenile Dame Kiri (2f Justify x Hence, by Galileo) was an ultra-impressive maiden winner at Naas on Sunday with a 10-length romp over six furlongs on the turf.

Taking the lead immediately under Seamie Heffernan, the filly controlled every part of the race on the soft turf. When asked to pick up the pace with just an eighth of a mile left to run, she made easy work of leaving the field behind with Heffernan just along for the ride as she pulled away with Sioux Nation’s Indian Outlaw narrowly missing second.

An Aidan O’Brien-trained homebred for the Coolmore partners, they are joined in her racing ownership by Westerberg.

“I’d say the Justifys are not two-year-olds at all and I was surprised they were doing what they were doing,” O’Brien told Irishracing.com. “All they want is a bit of time. She is a filly that is going to get a mile next year and could even get a mile and a quarter. She definitely has class. I’d say she will start off in a classic trial next season.”

The filly out of a Group III-placed full sister to three-time Group I winner Alice Springs, who herself is the dam of Grade III-placed Prettiest. Also among Hence’s siblings are Group II-placed Criteria, Group III-placed Kingston Jamaica, and stakes-placed Crocodile Rock.

Hence had a Justify colt last year and a Wootton Bassett colt this season.

Dame Kiri is the 20th winner for Justify, whose first crop includes seven stakes performers and four stakes winners – led by graded stakes winners on the dirt and turf.