ANDY Slattery believes there is more to come from Eastwatch, who brought up the brace for the trainer and his son Andrew at Gowran on Sunday when taking the concluding Thomastown Race. A nine-length winner of a maiden over course and distance on his seasonal return, the Damien Moore and Coleman Comerford-owned gelding was sent off the 2/1 favourite and came through to challenge over a furlong out, going on to beat Cristal Clere by a length.

Slattery senior commented: “He’s a very good horse, he’s a four-year-old all day long. I think the sky’s the limit when he gets to four. I think he is a very good horse.

“He beat a horse rated 101 there and he said he was idling the whole way up the straight. He nearly got himself beat looking around the place, he’s just a big baby. I think he could be a Melbourne Cup horse. I think he’ll get a mile and a half or two miles when he steps up. I’ll give him another little break now.”

All works out

Highbury See See got the father and son team off the mark on the card when landing some nice bets in the Golf At Gowran Park Handicap. Sent off 7/2 (from 8/1), the Hugo McDermott-owned gelding stayed on well to win by a length and a half.

Slattery senior reported: “He did it well. He had a nice run at the Curragh the last day and I think he likes a bit of ease in the ground. Hopefully he’s a horse for Galway. We’ll tip away and see where we end up.

“It wasn’t the plan to be back so far, he must have been slow away. He had a good draw and we were going to try and make it but things just went wrong. Anyway, it worked out.”

Change of luck

The trainer was out of luck in the Societies Welcome At Gowran Park Golf Club Handicap, in which his frontrunner Poppadom was headed close home by the Noel Kelly-trained Sneddy Eddie (11/4). Patrick McGettigan produced the Michael McGlone-owned five-year-old to win by a neck.

The winning trainer reported: “He’s always been a horse that needed soft ground, looking at his form. He got it today and we fancied him. He was down to 50 and he was claiming 7lb off him today.

“He seems like a very nice wee jockey, he’s a good lad. I’ve started using him a bit recently. He’s a good rider and does what he’s told. He’s a fine wee horse. He is what he is, he’s moderate, but he’ll do a job. We left home this morning at 8am, we fed him at 6.30am. He deserved to win a wee race for us.”

DECLAREE made all under Ben Coen to win the featured Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap for trainer Johnny Murtagh.

Owned and bred by Newtown Anner Stud Farm, the half-sister to highly-rated stablemate Iceford was sent off 7/2 for the seven-furlong contest and kept on strongly to deny Four Blondes by a neck.

Murtagh said: “She loves this track; she ran well here earlier in the year. I thought at halfway Ben had a nice position and he said she really wanted it today. When they came to her, she dug deep.

“She’s got a bit of size, so hopefully they’ll bring her back to the shed and she could be a nice broodmare at the end of the year. We’ll probably try to get a bit of blacktype later in the year but she has a bit to go yet.”

Off the mark

Maurice Regan’s Newtown Anner Stud completed a homebred double with the Joseph O’Brien-trained Starford, a son of Beckford, who Regan stands at Kedrah House Stud.

Stepping up to nine and a half furlongs on handicap debut, Wayne Hassett’s mount was sent off 5/1 for the Ladies Day July 26th Apprentice Handicap and stayed on well to beat Onemoredance by three quarters of a length.

“I think he appreciated the juice in the ground today and the small field,” said O’Brien. “I was very happy to see him win and he’s hopefully a horse that can progress. He was a bit inexperienced and we tried a few different trips with him. That’s probably a nice trip for him. The dam handled soft ground well so we thought he might handle that today.”

STAKES races will be considered for Daytona after the Aidan O’Brien-trained two-year-old made a winning debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

Sent off 3/1 (from evens) under Jack Cleary, the Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg and Brant-owned colt belied that drift to win easily by two and a half lengths.

“He was very professional,” said stable representative Chris Armstrong. “He was showing plenty of ability at home. He gave him a lovely ride, jumped and got a lead the whole way.

“When it started to open up in the straight, he showed a good attitude, and he lengthened the whole way to the line.

“He found that ground no problem but he’ll go on better ground. He’ll even appreciate going another furlong. We’ll see how he comes out of it; there is three weeks until the new Listed Pat Smullen race at Naas over a mile or he might be one for the El Gran Senor (Tipperary August 8th). He’s definitely a nice horse in the making.”

Third time lucky

Henry de Bromhead landed the other maiden on the card, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden, with the Charlotte-Musgrace-owned Offshore Bay (100/30).

Making her third start, the New Bay three-year-old made all under Gary Carroll and kept on well inside the final furlong to beat Walk The Highline by three and a quarter lengths.

De Bromhead said: “I’m delighted with that. She did it nicely and I thought that Gary gave her a super ride.

“I’d say she probably appreciates a bit of cut in the ground. We were a little bit disappointed with her the last day but I’d say she was feeling the better ground then.

“I’m delighted for the owners. We’ll see what the handicapper thinks and I think she’ll improve again.”