Soviet Song Easy Winner of Ridgewood Pearl

Soviet Song, ridden by veteran Johnny Murtagh, proved a popular six-length winner of the Ridgewood Pearl Stakes (Ire-II) at The Curragh Saturday.

A 4-year-old Irish-bred daughter of Marju, Soviet Song was an 11-10 favorite in a field of just five. James Fanshawe was the winning conditioner for owner Elite Racing Club, who saluted Murtagh in the winner's enclosure.

Murtagh won four group I races aboard Ridgewood Pearl.

"At home she looked in really good form and Johnny gets on really well with her," Fanshawe told The Racing Post. "If I'm bold she'll go for the Queen Anne [Royal Ascot, June 15] but if I'm windy she'll go for the Windsor Forest [June 16]."

Livadiya was second by three lengths over Hanami, saddled by the Two Thousand Guineas (Ire-I) winner James Toller and ridden by Seb Sanders. They were 2 1/2 lengths better than Godolphin's Echoes In Eternity.

Soviet Song was close up while in check in the one-mile event, quickening to seize the lead form Echoes In Eternity less than two furlongs from home and drawing away from the field. She won in a time of 1:39.5 on good to firm conditions.

Elsewhere at The Curragh Saturday, Gary Stevens was on hand to ride American-bred Arakan to a second-place finish behind The Kiddykid in the Weatherbys Ireland Greenland Stakes (Ire-III).

The odds-on 4-5 choice for trainer Michael Stoute finished up well but ran out of room in the six-furlong event, losing by a head to Jamie Spencer aboard the The Kddykid.

Stevens told The Racing Post, "The trip was a bit short for my horse and getting unbalanced in the last 100 yards didn't help either."

One fan didn't see it that way, though, The Post reported, shouting out, "You fell asleep Gary, you fell asleep."

Flaxman Holdings bred the 4-year-old Nureyev colt Arakan, who is owned by the Niarchos Family.