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Just Beautiful (4/1) bounded down the Curragh straight to bag the Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes for Paddy Twomey and Billy Lee this afternoon.
The daughter of Pride Of Dubai has arguably been disappointing since joining new connections for 625,000 GNS in November 2021 but she put her best foot forward on the track at the Curragh on Sunday with an all-the-way win in the Group 2 Group 2 Lanwades Stud Stakes.
Just Beautiful finished well behind today's market leader Honey Girl (9/4f) when the pair met in the Group 3 Athasi Stakes at the beginning of the month but comfortably turned the form around under a positive Billy Lee.
The Paddy Twomey-trained four-year-old broke smartly and always looked to be travelling comfortably on the front end. Billy Lee began to wind things up approaching the two-furlong marker and his mount produced a smart turn of foot to pull clear for an impressive two-and-a-quarter length success. Jumbly (9/2), who was having her first start for new connections, stayed on well from an uncompromising position to finish an eye-catching runner-up with Insinuendo (7/2) finishing back in third.
It was a third consecutive success in the race for jockey Billy Lee and a second on the bounce for trainer Paddy Twomey.
Speaking with Racing TV's Gary O'Brien jockey Billy Lee said: "It's brilliant. Paddy has been very patient with her, and we just never had a clear run with her last year. She was only barely ready to run Champions weekend and she blew up. Looking back on what the grey horse [Art Power] did here yesterday that was a good run over 6 furlongs, and she still wasn't 100% like she was today."
"The ground played a big key part today, but she's been well at home, and we were hopeful of a good run, and she's done that."
"It felt like I wasn't getting hassled [out in front] and I was able to build up the fractions myself. I didn't go overly mad, but I felt like I just got a breather before I was able to kick again at the three [furlong marker] and when I opened her up again, I felt like I'd load of horse underneath me, so I didn't have to go for everything until really, I got to the furlong pole. Just a few flicks of the stick and she battled on well."
