First stakes win for Maire Rua in Listed Ingabelle Stakes

Leopardstown's Irish Champions Day opener came down to a battle between the TDN Rising Stars in the line-up and it was Maire Rua (Frankel) who subdued Timeless Tale (Sioux Nation) for success in the Listed Ingabelle Stakes.

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 13th September 2026:

Impressive on debut over course and distance in July, the full sister to the classy Red Letter had met trouble in running when third in Cork's Firville Stakes last month but was in the clear the whole way from her wide draw with Colin Keane keeping it simple. Allowing the 2-1 market-leader Timeless Tale first run in the straight, Maire Rua was able to reel her in close home for a half-length success, with a length and a half back to Ballydoyle's pace-setting Snowing.

Maire Rua was providing Keane with an ideal 32nd birthday present and Ger Lyons with an impressive fourth renewal since 2021. "She's a filly we always held in high regard and she got wiped out coming out of the stalls last time and did well to be third under hands and heels," her rider said. "It all went to plan today - she was out quick, travelled around well, picked up well and got to the line nicely. She is thriving with each run and does everything too easy at home, so needs racing. She's not slow, by any means, but she'll probably start at a mile next year."

Lyons added: "Colin was adamant that affected her last time and that's the filly we thought we had. She has a great temperament and will probably have a run or two more this year and the ideal thing is to go Listed, Group 3, Group 2 and then Group 1 and see where the ceiling is. She needs experience, so I definitely want to find something else between now and the end of the season. I'd love to go Group 3 now rather than diving into a Fillies' Mile or something."

Maire Rua is now the second Stakes winner out of the Listed winning Red Impression alongside Red Letter, who enjoyed Group 3 success in the Snow Fairy and has been placed in the Pretty Polly at the highest level and the Middleton and Blandford. The family features the operation's Prix de la Foret heroine Etoile Montante, her New York Stakes-winning daughter Starformer and a clutch of other toplevel performers, including Sightseek, Tates Creek, Special Duty, Obligatory, Ferocious, Bonny South and Country Grammer, with the latter the hero of the Dubai World Cup and Hollywood Gold Cup. Also included is Frankel's Middle Park runner-up Task Force. Red Impression's yearling colt is by Blue Point, while her foal is a full-sister to Maire Rua.