APPRENTICE jockey Jack Kearney rode out his claim when registering a double at the Curragh on Thursday.
Even Par was first to score when staying on best close home to take the one-mile Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden. A 25/1 outsider, the Gavin Cromwell-trained debutant prevailed by a neck from evens favourite Lunar Empress for the Even Par Partnership.
Kearney reported: “It was a lovely performance first time out. He did everything right, was very straightforward and hit the line well.
“I got a lovely run through following Dusty (Foley, Lunar Empress). For a horse having his first run, I didn’t want to ask him too many questions, especially on that soft ground there today. It was just a matter of getting him home and he did it well.”
Doubling up
Kearney brought up his brace, in doing so losing his claim, aboard Givehertilxmas in the seven-furlong Feel The Rush With 1xBet.ie Handicap.
Trained by Ger Keane for the Jingle Bells Syndicate, the 11/1 chance won by a length and a half from Eichan San.
Kearney said: “That’s the claim finished, so it’s a nice box ticked. It was always in my sights to keep nibbling at it throughout the year and the last two winners were slow coming, but we got them on the same day which is nice.”
THE Danny Murphy-trained Unique Journey followed up last year’s win in the six-furlong DNG Nationwide Handicap.
Sent to post a 15/2 chance, the Dalzell, James Morgan, Karl Kirwan and Mrs John Murphy-owned gelding scored easily by four lengths from Smoke Them Out.
Murphy reported: “We were just waiting for the ground, he just grows a leg on it. He won it last year for us.
“When he had the 10 stone, I said I’d put Terry Casey on. He’s my apprentice now this year.
“He’s coming to hand and he’s starting to listen. It just takes time, you have to educate these lads. I’ll make a jockey out of that fella.
“There’s one race left there over seven furlongs on November 1st and looking at him there, I’d say he’d get it.”
Successful debut
Jabreen made a winning racecourse debut for trainer Andy Slattery in the six-furlong Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden. Ridden by Andrew Slattery jnr, the 4/1 chance stayed on strongly to post a three-quarter-length success over 11/8 favourite Champion Basma.
Slattery snr said: “He’s a nice horse. He probably wants seven (furlongs) or a mile, but he worked so well last week we said we’d run him over six (furlongs).
“Niall Ryan is representing the owner (Almishrab Racing), who is from Dubai. I’ve never met the man. That’s probably it for the year now.
“I don’t know what his plans are to do from now. Andrew said he won very comfortably. We always thought a good bit of him.”
Confident
The Dermot Weld-trained Almazann justified 11/8 favouritism under Chris Hayes in the mile-and-a-half DNG People & Property Maiden.
Owned by Exors of the late Aga Khan, the colt galloped on strongly to record a one-and-three-quarter-length victory over Nemorino.
Weld said: “He’s been running into some very decent horses in some of these maidens. We were beat a head (in Cork) by that very good horse of Joseph’s (O’Brien, Enceladus) that went on to win at Royal Ascot and Goodwood and was second in the Leger after.
“I was confident that he’d win today and I thought he put it together nicely.”
ANVIKA stayed on late to claim the mile and a furlong DNG Excellence Handicap for trainer Sheila Lavery. Robbie Colgan produced the 14/1 chance close home to register a half-length win from Storzando for owners Spyglass Syndicate.
Lavery said: “She loves to come from behind and I suppose I’d been pitching her into highly-rated races. I actually was very confident coming into today. She had a terrible draw, but Robbie gave her a class ride.
“She’s kind of a family horse. My mother owned a leg and mum died, so all the family own her leg in the syndicate. If she comes out of this race fine, she’ll run in the mile-two race here next week.”
Improvement to come
Johnny Murtagh sent out 5/2 favourite Priorstown to land the Isuzu Ireland Handicap over a mile and six furlongs.
Ridden by Ben Coen, the Newtown Anner Stud Farm Ltd-owned gelding scored by a length and three-quarters from Granville Street.
Murtagh reported: “He’s a big, backward, lazy horse that will get better. He’s got a bit of a pedigree. Ben said today he travelled well for the first time.
“The distance and the ground is helping him. The cheekpieces probably helped him as well. I do think mentally he could be better next year.”
Surprise win
Mymomentintime caused a 25/1 upset for Susan Finn and Jimmy Dalton in the five-furlong October Racing With 1xBet.ie Apprentice Handicap. Owned by the winning trainer, the gelding led close home for a three-quarter-length win over Buddy Batt.
Finn said: “He was due to run earlier in the year, but he put a splint out and was lame for two months. So maybe that time off might have helped him, I don’t know.
“He has plenty of ability and he still would have needed the run, even though he looked ready enough.
“He’ll have bottom weight the next day and will be out of the handicap, but he loves that ground. With light weights, you just don’t know when they get a bit of confidence back in themselves again.”