THE evergreen Flight Risk showed that despite his advancing years he remains potent force in good company with a commanding display in the Listed Holden Plant Rentals Glencairn Stakes.
Just short of two years since he recorded his last success in the Group 3 Ballycorus Stakes at this track, the Jim Bolger-trained eight-year-old came here off an excellent second off top-weight in a €100,000 Curragh handicap.
That effort was enough for the Jackie Bolger-owned gelding to head the market at 11/4 and he showed all his old class under Kevin Manning to put this race to bed when quickening into the lead with a furlong to run.
Flight Risk crossed the line with three and a half lengths to spare over Hand On Heart. Over the course of his career the son of Teofilo has run 38 times at group and listed level, reaching the first four on 22 occasions over trips ranging from six to 10 furlongs.
“He likes a good pace and nowadays he’s not as fussy about the ground. He was a bit unlucky at the Curragh where he just didn’t get the split in time,” reflected Bolger, whose charge will turn out for the Group 3 Plusvital Ballycorus Stakes on Thursday.
In full bloom
Ger Lyons’ wish to take baby steps with the smart Basic Law (10/11) has been amply rewarded and a canny campaign yielded a third straight victory for the Lawman gelding in the seven-furlong rated race.
The trip was shorter than ideal for Colin Keane’s mount and the front running All The King’s Men took some subduing but the 91-rated Basic Law forced his way past late on to score by a head.
The trainer was already looking to next year and a mile and a quarter for the Kangyu International Racing (HK) Limited-owed three-year-old but in the more immediate term a premier handicap or a listed race will be next.
It has taken just six days for the €1,000 purchase Monaco Rose to provide her connections with a near 24-fold return on investment as she followed up a win at Down Royal last Friday by edging the tightest of finishes to the Awards & Gifts Apprentice Handicap. Andy Slattery got the 6/1 favourite home by a nose from Walking On Glass. Dermot McLoughlin trains the winner for David Eiffe and in six days she has won approximately €24,000.
Suspension
Gavin Ryan was given a two-day suspension for using his whip with excessive frequency when partnering Time For Mable into third in the apprentice handicap.
A CRACK at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby looks the next step for Rakan after he justified 8/11 favouritism in the King George V Cup. Only three horses turned out for this mile and a half listed event and Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum-owned colt produced a solid display under Chris Hayes to build on his fourth in last month’s Derrinstown Derby Trial.
From over a furlong out Rakan looked to have the front running Barbados covered and he beat that one by three parts of a length with the Killarney winner Eminent Authority the same distance back in third.
“That was workmanlike but there is a lot of improvement to come from him. He had a hold up over the winter and is only on the way back and he’s a bone idle horse,” reported Dermot Weld who was winning this race for the second time in five years. “He came there today to win easily and just got tired on his first try at a mile and a half. I’ll speak to connections but the Irish Derby is a definite possible for him.”
JESSICA Harrington’s two-year-olds are really finding their form as evidenced by the highly promising Cayenne Pepper who made a winning debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies maiden over seven furlongs.
The daughter of Australia, whose grandam is a half-sister to the great Urban Sea, was backed from 16/1 into 6/1 and she came with a steady effort for Shane Foley over the last quarter of a mile to account for A New Dawn by three parts of a length.
Cayenne Pepper is owned by American Jon Kelly who had the Group 3 winners Beautiful Morning and Pincheck with Harrington last year. This filly will get an entry in the Moyglare Stud Stakes.
Shane Foley went on to enjoy a double as Michael Halford’s Libras Power (16/1) bagged the three-year-old seven-furlong handicap on what may well have been the final start of her career. The Zhang Yuesheng-owned daughter of Slade Power is in foal to Saxon Warrior and she defeated Syrena by a short-head giving his trainer a birthday winner.
Tracey Collins, whose runners have been showing up well this term, deservedly got off the mark for the season as the relatively lightly raced four-year-old Beckwith Place (8/1) made it two wins from eight career starts in the mile handicap.
Fine run
The Notary Syndicate-owned and Ronan Whelan-ridden gelding built on a fine run under a welter burden at the Curragh last month to score by half a length from Crafty Madam. “We’ve 12 in training and they’ve been running exceptionally well and it’s great to get one on the board. This horse was weak last year but he has strengthened up over the winter and I’d have been disappointed if he wasn’t thereabouts on his last run. Hopefully he can progress again,” commented the trainer.