AIDAN O’Brien and Wayne Lordan teamed up for a double at Dundalk last Saturday, when Ile De France stepped up from his debut to land the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over a mile.
The 4/5 favourite improved to join Equus Victor with two furlongs to go and was sent on a furlong and a half down by Lordan.
The race was far from over, though, as Moliere served up his challenge in the final furlong.
Ile De France (by Gun Runner) proved a neck too strong for owners Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg and Poulin.
Lordan said: “We always felt this was sort of his trip. He went through the race very well for me today. When
“I got there, I felt he had a look but, in the last 50 yards, I always felt I was holding on.”
Double completed
Institute (11/8) was another winning favourite for O’Brien and Lordan in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over the minimum trip.
The daughter of Frankel was always prominent and kept on well for Lordan once sent her about her business approaching the final furlong.
She hit the line two and a half lengths clear of Grande Cuvee for owners Derrick Smith, Sue Magnier and Michael Tabor.
The jockey said: “She actually enjoys this place. She travelled really well and, when I let her down, she went forward and got to the line well.
“She is quite a big filly and she was always a tad on the weaker side, but she is after filling out into that big frame and getting a bit stronger.”
TOUCH The Moon (15/2) came home strongly to plunder the featured €50,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Red God Handicap for trainer Bill Durkan and the Four D Partnership, under Chris Hayes.
The five-year-old gelding was under pressure in his pursuit of Follow Me over a furlong out, but rallied well and finished best to get up by half a length close home from Star Harbour as Follow Me dropped to third.
Assistant trainer Gary Bannon said: “It was a small entry for this, and he had only ever run once on the all-weather. He’s done it quite well, so I’m delighted for the lads. He’s a great money-spinner and he’s very honest.”
Robert Whearty also partnered two winners on the card and began with Reponse Finale (6/4 favourite) in the Bar 1-sponsored handicap over a mile.
A beaten favourite the previous evening at Cork, the Gavin Cromwell-trained filly again started slowly but she made good headway racing to the furlong pole and her momentum saw her into the lead in the closing stages.
From there, she held Roman Harry by three-quarters of a length for the Poetry In Motion Syndicate and Patrick McGuinness.
Whearty said: “Once I got her into some sort of rhythm, all I wanted to do was keep smooth. She’s had a tough week, so I imagine she will get a little break now.”
Whearty secured his brace aboard Copper Craft in the extended 10-furlong handicap.
The 4/1 shot was noted travelling well behind the lead two furlongs down and was soon switched left for daylight by Whearty.
He galloped into the lead inside the final furlong and bounded home by a length and a quarter.
Owner/trainer Andy Oliver said: “He likes fast ground. He got it fast one day in Navan when we had blinkers on him and it was the first time he showed it on the grass. He was just collared by a horse late home.”
DARK Ace was backed down to 7/2 favourite for the Bar 1-sponsored handicap over six furlongs and the money proved well founded as he scorched home by a length and three-quarters. He was fourth straightening for home and Adam Caffrey asked him for more at the two-pole. The pair improved into second a furlong down and swept into the lead in the final 150 yards for owners Jim Fairhurst, Damian McCann and Cyril McMullan. Ado McGuinness said: “He’s as good a sprinter as I’ve had in a long, long time. He’s very fast. He’s in the Ayr Gold Cup, but he’s in the Bold Lad (Curragh) as well. We’ll see, it will be either one.”
Breakthrough
The 92-rated Tosca No Candis made the breakthrough in the Irish EBF Auction Series Fillies Maiden for Robson de Aguiar. The 100/30 shot had to withstand a challenge from 15/8 favourite Crayons In The Sky as the race unfolded near the furlong marker but kept on nicely for Donagh O’Connor to repel her by three-parts of a length for owners Scuderia Scolari and Giselle De Aguiar. The trainer said: “She won over six furlongs today and I think in that company she can do six, but she is definitely a miler. She loved the surface, she has travelled well and she has finished strongly.”
Diego Lima was handed a six-day suspension for two whip offences on sixth-placed Ana Morello.
Trek Home (11/4) made all under Terry Casey and took the honours in the Bar 1-sponsored apprentice maiden. He encountered seven furlongs for the first time and kept rolling at the business end as he saw it out by a length for trainer Danny Murphy, and owners John Kirkland and Geraldine Ryan.
Casey said: “We had a wide draw, so we said we would jump to go forward. He has been running over five and six (furlongs), and probably always wanted the seven, but you could nearly drop him down in trip again.”