JOSEPH O’Brien and Joey Sheridan teamed up to record a double on the card. Former King George winner Banbridge was the highlight of that brace when making a winning flat debut in the Racing Again September 19th Maiden.
Sent off 4/1 in the colours of Ronnie Bartlett, the 10-year-old led over a furlong out and kept on strongly to win by two lengths.
O’Brien said: “We didn’t expect him to win, but thought it’d be a nice place for him to get the season off to a start. He really went through the race with great enthusiasm and he won snug.
“We are having a think about an American option for him and he also has some options at home.
“It was just great to see him come back and show that enthusiasm. He likes to win races.”
Star in the making
Starborn Legend formed the first leg of the O’Brien/Sheridan double when justifying 6/4 favouritism in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. Always prominent, the Millennium Stud SP ZO O-owned colt got the better of Keogie by a short head.
Sheridan later reported: “Myself and Siobhan (Rutledge, on runner-up Keogie) got it handy enough in front. I had planned to be there, but we just gave them half a length out of the stalls, so I just had to sit.
“I always felt I was holding Keogie and, while it probably looked like he made hard work of it, I felt I always had the measure of the runner-up.”
Curracloe outruns her odds
BEN Coen was another jockey to ride two winners on the card. Curracloe belied her odds of 22/1 to make a winning debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.
Trained by Johnny Murtagh, the Qatar Racing-owned daughter of Baaeed led over a furlong out, before keeping on strongly for a three-and-a-quarter-length success from Snowing.
Murtagh said: “She has a great temperament and had been working well at home.
“I thought she’d need the run today, but Ben said she was very natural, jumped well, took a good position and quickened up really well.
“I’d say she’s well above average to win first time out for one of ours. We might give her one more run, but her future lies as a three-year-old, I think.” It was a first Irish winner for the sire Baaeed.
Dead heat
Coen went on to complete his brace when partnering the Danny Murphy-trained Equus Victor to dead heat with the Aidan O’Brien-trained Drumbeat in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden.
Sent off 14/1, the Karl Kirwan, R P Behan, Mrs John Murphy and James Morgan-owned gelding couldn’t be separated from the Westerberg/Mrs J Magnier/M Tabor/D Smith-owned 5/4 favourite.
Danny Murphy reported: “I gave a few quid for Equus Victor - £90k. He’s a grand horse. I must say I really like him and always have.”
Meanwhile, Chris Armstrong said of Drumbeat: “He’s a horse that will make up into a lovely middle-distance horse next year and a big galloping track will suit him. We’ll look at one of those stakes races over a mile, or even further, towards the end of the season.”
Close finish
Solana Beach ran on well close home under Seamie Heffernan to win the 1xBet.ie Proud Supporters Of Irish Racing Handicap. Sent off 7/1, the Craig Berwick-owned filly just got up to beat Ninth Crusade a neck.
Winning trainer Fozzy Stack said: “Solana Beach ran well here the last day, but I haven’t been able to run her, as she needs a bit of an ease in the ground. She’s a big filly and might strengthen up a bit too next year. Hopefully, she keeps improving.”
KEVIN Smith and Wesley Joyce were in the winner’s enclosure after 16/1 chance Java Wood landed the Support The Irish Injured Jockeys Fund Handicap.
Carrying the colours of owner/breeder Peadar Kelly, the gelding led inside the final furlong to beat Majestic King a length.
Joyce said: “We were drawn badly and he’s a horse who can run keen. The plan was to jump and sit in fifth or sixth, to get cover and get him to relax.
“I tried to hold on to him as long as I could and, when I gave him a kick, he picked up well and ran to the line.”
Girl strikes gold
Quinta Girl won the Membership At Gowran Park Fillies & Mares Claiming Race for Michael O’Callaghan and Reese Holohan.
Sent off 13/2, the John Kirkland and Mrs James Ryan-owned three-year-old kept on best to beat Tax Me Later by half a length.
O’Callaghan reported: “It was overdue for Quinta Girl to get her head in front. She’s a filly that we liked and thought she’d have won a maiden or something before now. Reese’s 7lb claim was a big help and he said that she’s just in a different league.”
Paddy keeps pushing
Paddy Harnett kept up his push for the apprentice title when getting up late aboard Navajo Point to win the Societies Welcome At Gowran Park Apprentice Handicap.
Owned by Deirdre Hassett and trained by her husband Martin, the 4/1 favourite beat Rampage a neck. Martin Hassett said: “This horse’s mother (Dashing Diamond) was slow, but tough and won a race for us.
“Navajo Point has got a bit more about him and, while he probably wants a mile and a quarter, we said we’d come down and take our chances, although we thought there’d be a bit more of a cut in the ground.”