YOUNG apprentice jockey Jack Cleary recorded the biggest win of his career to date when partnering the Aidan O’Brien-trained Dorset to land the featured Goffs Million at the Curragh on Saturday.

Sent off 17/2, the grey was always front rank, before heading leader Homestrait over three furlongs out. Keeping on strongly inside the final furlong, the Smith/Magnier/Tabor/Westerberg-owned colt beat English raider August George by one and a quarter lengths.

The winner’s stable companion and 5/6 favourite Composing finished third.

Assessing the performance, stable representative Chris Armstrong said: “It’s fantastic to win this race. Fair play to Goffs for putting up a pot like this, it’s a major incentive to bring a good field and they got well supported today.

“His form has been in the book, in fairness, and he’s just done a few things wrong. Jack gave him a lovely ride, he jumped, went forward and got a lovely position. In fairness, when he asked him, he really knuckled down. He’s definitely a group horse and you’d have to maybe give him a go at the Dewhurst now and see.”

Second winner

Trainer Aidan O’Brien also won the second major prize on the afternoon as Hawk Mountain, a son of the late Wootton Basset like the Million winner, produced a powerful front-running performance under Ronan Whelan in the Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club Beresford Stakes. Sent off a well backed 5/4 favourite, the Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier and Michael Tabor-owned colt stayed on well to beat Geryon by three and quarter lengths.

Stable representative Chris Armstrong said: “He’s a smashing colt. Obviously, he’s got the sire and the dam (the Group 1 Matron and Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares Stakes winner Hydrangea) and he has plenty of size and scope.

“Whatever he does at two we think will be a bonus. Ronan gave him a lovely ride, he had his ears pricked the whole way around and there is plenty in there. Ronan felt he was still green, even coming up to the line. It’s a good sign and hopefully he’ll improve again.

“He’s in the mix for the Futurity Trophy in Doncaster or maybe he could go to France, the race in Saint-Cloud. He’s one to look forward to for middle distances next year.”

Gazelle d’Or finds compensation

UNLUCKY in running when sixth at the same track in the Bold Lad Handicap, the Michael Grassick-trained Gazelle d’Or gained some compensation when landing the HearMed Your Health, Your Hearing Joe McGrath Handicap (Premier Handicap).

Dropping back to the minimum trip here, the 9/1 chance enjoyed a far less troubled passage, coming through to head Mint Man over 100 yards out.

The Chris Hayes-partnered filly then held the late run of Kendall Roy to score by a neck. Grassick later said of the Aidan Gleeson and Joseph Keeling-owned winner: “This filly is a different filly over five. She just runs too keen over the six. She was a little bit unlucky in the Scurry and the last day, she probably should have been third or fourth.

“She’s a hardy filly, I’d like to try and get a bit of blacktype. There are no five furlong races but I might look at the listed race next weekend (Brigid’s Pastures Stakes). I might look at taking her to France next year. She seems to want ease in the ground.”

Staying on

Engines On gained a second win since joining trainer John Kinsella when staying on best close home to take the Schweppes Trophy Handicap.

Sent off a 13/2 chance, the five-year-old was always to the fore under Chris Hayes, before coming through to lead over a furlong out. Strongly pressed by Tokenomics inside the last 150 yards, the Peter Stone-owned gelding found more in the dying strides to prevail by three quarters of a length.

“He had a great run in the Cambridgeshire,” said Kinsella. “He won on his debut for us in Naas, over seven. We said we’d have a go at the Cambridgeshire, the ground probably wasn’t soft enough for him.

“It was a good run and this was the plan since then. He’ll probably be put away now and we won’t make any plans just yet.”

Colin Keane gained a much-needed winner in his bid to retain the jockeys’ championship when partnering the Noel Meade-trained Rowdy Yeats to win the McDonnell’s Bar Newbridge Rated Race.

Tracking the leaders from the outset, Keane delivered the 10/1 chance from off the pace to lead over a furlong out. Keeping on strongly inside the final furlong, the Make Believe colt held the staying on Gangsta Man by half a length.

Meade said: “He was really flying at home. He’s a very good horse and I’ve rarely seen a horse work better. He’s in the sales because I own him in partnership with Ballylinch Stud. You love to have him, he’s a real nice horse and he can go on quite a bit.”

THE Jim Bolger-trained Mumhan made the perfect start to his racing career when staying on best under Declan McDonogh to take the opening Kildare House Hotel Irish EBF Maiden.

A half-brother to four winners, the Mrs Jackie Bolger-owned Mehmas colt was sent off an 8/1 chance to strike at the first time of asking. Always up with the leaders, Mumhan stayed on strongly inside the final furlong to collar White Smoke close home for a half-length success. “He’s a good horse and he just needed a bit of time,” said Bolger.

“He’ll probably go for the Killavullan and then I’ll have to find a race to make him champion two-year-old!

“He was very green and should improve.”

Simurgh opened his account in good style in the first division of the Fitzpatrick’s Mercedes-Benz Maiden.

Jamie Powell, who was riding out his 3lb claim on the 5/2 winner, produced his mount to lead inside the final furlong and he stayed on strongly in the closing stages to record a three-length victory in the colours of Steven Rocco.

Lovely horse

Eddie Harty, who trains the winner in partnership with his son Patrick, said: “He’s always been a lovely horse. He’s still only coming to himself.

“He ran a lovely race in Roscommon. He came and won his race but then got mugged and he’s improved.

“He’ll stay further and I think he’ll improve a lot from now till the spring of next year. He’s a nice horse to look forward to.

“You’d be thinking this time next year you might be running tomorrow for the Cesarewitch, that type of thing.”

Made all

The Johnny Murtagh-trained Subsonic made all the running under Ben Coen to register a first success in the concluding Fitzpatrick’s Mercedes-Benz Maiden (Div II).

Sent straight to the front from stalls here, Coen set perfect fractions on the 6/4 favourite, quickening on two furlong out. Although outsider Santa Domingo closed the gap to three quarters of a length near the finish, the Newtown Anner Stud Farm Ltd-owned winner may just have idled in front.

Murtagh said: “It’s nice to get her maiden win and, speaking to Maurice, he thinks we’re going to keep her in training for next year.

“She’s a huge filly so I think she can only improve with another year under her belt.

“It’s testing ground and they came at her early so he said she was getting a bit tired as well. I think there is a big engine in there.

“As Ben says, if she can develop up into her size, we feel she is a stakes filly.”