IN a victory to warm the heart, Morph Speed struck premier handicap gold for the second time this summer as Richard O’Brien’s charge bagged the €40,000 Laurels Pub & Restaurant Kingdom Gold Cup.

In the colours of Kate Hassett whose husband Johnny has been undergoing cancer treatment in Germany, Morph Speed has excelled himself since being entrusted to O’Brien’s care earlier this year.

Now a winner of four of his starts since joining his current trainer, Morph Speed (7/1) has now earned himself a starting berth on Irish Champions Weekend as a result of this gritty success under Chris Hayes.

The five-year-old showed a great attitude when it mattered to get the better of the always prominent Camorra by a length in this one-and-three-quarter-mile affair.

“This means an awful lot. Everyone is aware of Johnny’s circumstances at the moment. He has been very kind to us and it is a nice opportunity to make him feel a bit better.

“He’s been a terrific horse for us this summer and to win another premier handicap is huge. I suppose after this we might look at the Petingo Handicap on Champions Weekend next,” said O’Brien.

Back to form

Joseph O’Brien’s Powerful Kieran (8/1) got back to the form that carried him to a couple of runner-up efforts earlier in the summer with a clear-cut triumph in the apprentice riders’ handicap over the same distance as the night’s feature.

Mikey Sheehy’s mount surged into the lead passing the two-furlong marker for a three-and-a-half-length victory over Lighthouse Lady. The son of the Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist is owned by Power Thoroughbreds PTY Limited and Dorothy Keating.

Dalton delight

The evening concluded with a rousing finish to the amateur riders’ race over an extended two miles where the Dermot Weld stalwart Dalton Highway (9/2) carried the day.

Now a winner of seven of his starts, this highly dependable and likable gelding fought tooth and nail for Finny Maguire who picked up a two-day careless riding ban.

He seemed sure to be picked off by Royal Illusion at one point in the straight but he kept finding more to turn her away and in the closing strides pulled that little bit more to withstand the whirlwind charge of Barbados by a neck.

The winner is owned by Dr Ronan Lambe and Dr John Climax.

Future looks bright for this Horoscope

JUST as the dust was settling on Snowfall’s terrific effort at York, Aidan O’Brien successfully turned his attentions to Killarney with a double which concluded with a career-best effort from Horoscope in the M.D. O’Shea & Sons Vincent O’Brien Ruby Stakes.

A third winner of this listed race in four years for the Ballydoyle trainer, Horoscope was unplaced in the Colm Quinn Mile last time but was returning to a course and distance that provided him with his most recent success in July.

The 10/1 chance was a little sluggish leaving the stalls but soon got into his rhythm and Emmet McNamara produced him with a telling effort as the last couple of furlongs loomed. The son of No Nay Never soon had the measure of the front-running Masen whom he went on to defeat by just under three lengths.

“He won on much slower ground here in July so he’s shown his versatility and, although he was a little sluggish leaving the stalls, an outside draw helped as I was able to get into a decent position before we turned out of the back,” remarked the winning rider.

Burden

Earlier the O’Brien-trained Howth defied the fairly substantial burden of 10st 3lb in the Irish EBF-sponsored nursery over a mile.

The 85-rated son of Churchill was sent off at 6/4 on his first outing in this sphere and was always nicely placed for Seamie Heffernan before steadily getting the better of the front-running Play By The Rules to prevail by a length and a quarter.

“He’s a fine, big horse who always worked like he would be able to win a maiden so it’s nice to see him do that,” declared the rider.

No stopping Moddy marvel

SHEILA Lavery is justifiably eyeing a step up to stakes level for the progressive Moddy Poddle (11/2) who made it three wins in a row in the Bordeaux Racecourse Rated Race.

This Denis Maher-owned and -bred daughter of Pride Of Dubai won off marks of 69 and 77 on her two previous starts and coped well with a rise to 86 as she bossed this race from the front.

When the chasing pack attempted to close, Robbie Colgan’s mount went on again and she looked to have something to spare in beating Doolin Dancer by a length and three-parts.

“She’s very tough and I’m thrilled for her owner. I think we will look at blacktype for her now and I actually think she wants 10 furlongs too so we have plenty of options for her,” outlined the trainer.

Joe Murphy’s decision not to part with Dark Design at the horses-in-training sales last autumn has been rewarded this season as the four-year-old notched up his second win of the campaign in the first divide of the 45-65 rated Irish Examiner Handicap.

This mile affair served up a terrific conclusion that could have gone any one of three ways inside the last furlong, but in the closing strides Dark Design edged ahead for Gary Carroll to see off the favourite, All Things Bright, by a neck. The 10/1 chance is owned by Crampscastlebloodstock Ltd.

The other divide of that mile handicap went to Ger O’Leary and Shane Foley as the well-backed top-weight, Adamaris (9/1 - 5/1), won in good style. The four-year-old took control of over a furlong out and a two-and-a-quarter-length triumph over Slieve Bearnagh suggested that the Lance Bloodstock-owned gelding could add to his tally.