THE Khalid Abdullah and Ger Lyons link-up could hardly have gotten off to a better start. Fulminate was their second winner together when taking the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden (Plus 10 Race) at Fairyhouse.
Bringing up a double on the card for Lyons and his stable jockey Colin Keane, the well-supported debutant daughter of Charm Spirit flew home up the inner to touch off her experienced Ballydoyle rival Coral Beach by half a length.
Viadera won for Abdullah and Lyons at the Curragh at the end of June, and Zander was a promising third for them, also at headquarters last month.
“That’s lovely. I thought it was a cracking ride. She missed the break, through greenness from a bad draw and he took his medicine,” said Lyons on the 11/4 victor.
“With those colours you’ll keep aiming high. It’s all about blacktype with these pedigrees, and with fillies, no matter whether they are these colours or our colours or whatever.”
Lyons and Keane were on the mark in the opening www.fairyhouse.ie Claiming Race with Elysian Plains (13/8 favourite), for Anamoine Limited. When getting the better of Dani’s Boy from over a furlong out, the winner edged in, forcing the runner-up to check, but three and a quarter lengths split them at the line.
The stewards advised Keane to ride with more awareness in the future.
SLATTERY SUCCESS<
Sharjah and Temasek Star shared favouritism for the Cliona Hagan & Her Band Handicap. Unfortunately, Temasek Star burst a blood vessel and finished third.
It was Sharjah (7/4) who emerged victorious, beating The Mouse Doctor, who landed a similar event at Leopardstown the following evening, by half a length.
Andrew Slattery rode the now 15-time scorer for his father Andy.
“He’s been a great servant. He minds himself and that’s why he’s run 105 times and never had a day lame,” commented the winning trainer on Sharon Slattery’s eight-year-old.
WELD WINNER
Champion jockey Keane rode Count D’Orsay into third place in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden (Plus 10 Race) behind Dermot Weld’s Asdaa (5/1).
In the hands of Declan McDonogh, Hamdan Al Maktoum’s winning Dutch Art gelding finished strongly to upstage favourite Darkash by a neck.
“It was a good strong ride from Declan,” commented Weld. “He’ll probably go for a nursery now. He has a good attitude and is tough.”
McDonogh was also to the fore for much of the Race Displays Handicap (division one) on the Adrian Murray-trained Zeb City, before the pair weakened out of contention from over a furlong out.
Top-weight Admirality (9/4 favourite) deservedly shed his maiden tag here, convincingly scoring with Shane B Kelly up top in the JP Murtagh Racing silks.
Kelly was cautioned after the stewards deemed him guilty of using his whip unnecessarily after his mount had clearly won the race.
Admirality accounted for Ahundrednotout by three and a half lengths.
PERFECT START
The second split of this Race Displays Handicap also went to the horse at the head of the weights as the Joseph O’Brien Racing Club got off to the perfect start with Focus Of Attention (11/8 favourite).
On start two for O’Brien, with the trainer’s brother Donnacha in the plate, Focus Of Attention comfortably saw off the attentions of Secret Memories, who won at Leopardstown the following day, by two and three-quarter lengths.
“I just had to wait for the gaps but she was fairly well handicapped so once I did get there she quickened up nicely. She had a little look when she got there so hopefully there is more to come,” was the winning rider’s summation afterwards.
The 10lb claimer Stephen Mooney, rider of Split The Atom who finished fourth, reported that he was instructed to ride a waiting race but got detached in the early stages.
VISOR
Another young rider was in the thoughts of trainer Johnny Levins after he won the Toals.com Bookmakers Handicap with Kindly (8/1).
Donagh O’Connor dictated things to a nicety here on the first-time-visored daughter of Kyllachy, and the Sixtyfiveroses Partnership-owned five-year-old convincingly made all for a two-and-a-quarter-length win.
Favourite and last year’s winner Captain Power finished second.
“I have to say fair play to my 10lb claimer Sean Kirrane. He suggested putting a visor on her. He rode her out during the week with them on and felt they brought an improvement in her,” stated Levins.
“We went with him, took the bull by the horns, put them (visors) on her so it’s a thank-you to him (Kirrane) and he got that one right.”
In the finale, the Toals.com Bookmakers Rated Race, the defection of Ulster Derby runner-up Sheberghan saw just three go to post.
Nonetheless, there was an exciting conclusion as, in the Hassan Al Abdulmalik silks, Declan McDonogh got John Oxx’s Night Of Power (11/10 favourite) home by three quarters of a length from Cartwright.
“We ran him as a bit of an experiment to see if he would get the mile and a half,” disclosed Oxx.
“He’s been doing well at shorter and shows plenty of pace at home but he got the trip well and it suited him. The sire had plenty of stamina so we expected him to stay but weren’t sure he would.
“It’s grand, he’s won three races now and has been a good horse for us. He’s more settled in the hood and is not pulling.”
Elysian in demand
A remarkable 15 claims were lodged for claiming race winner Elysian Plains at €28,000.
They included Jessica Harrington, Paul Nicholls, David O’Meara and Emmet Mullins, but it was Gordon Elliott’s name which came out of the hat. Elliott also bagged the second-favourite, Viscount Wilson, for €12,000.
ACTING STEWARDS : J.M. McGrath, M. O’Malley, P. Law, B. Polly, L. Walsh
HORSE TO FOLLOW
PEPPERONI PETE (G M Lyons): Made a nice start to his career when fifth behind stable companion Fulminate.