SHAOOL justified strong support when making a stunning start in stakes company at Leopardstown last Sunday.
The Johnny Murtagh-trained filly was backed from 13/2 into 6/4 favourite for the Listed Trigo Stakes and blew away her rivals in the 10-furlong contest.
Ben Coen held his mount up early before unleashing a surging run to lead over a furlong from home. The Belardo filly sprinted away from her rivals for a six-length win over Acapulco Bay.
The winner had started the year off a mark of 74 and had won two handicaps before taking this step up in grade.
“I’d love to know where this improvement has come from, Ben says the ground is key to her,” said Murtagh.
“I thought she’d be very competitive here today, but that was a very good performance.
“I was a bit worried where he was early on, but he got a beautiful gap up the inside and she quickened up really well.
“I’m delighted, they are a great bunch of people (Broadfield Group Syndicate). Vince O’Driscoll is after travelling over from America and the pressure is always on when he travels!
“I don’t think there is anything left for her, she’s been busy. I thought today would tell us if she’d come back next year. She should, she’s going out on a high now.”
Havoc goes back-to-back
Norwalk Havoc also relished the underfoot conditions when repeating last year’s success in the Listed Bahrain Turf Club Knockaire Stakes.
Jessica Harrington’s charge went to post a 5/1 shot in the mile listed contest and made every post a winning one, under Seamie Heffernan.
The Showcasing gelding asserted over a furlong from home for a three-length win over Queen Of Thunder.
Harrington said: “That was great. It’s the first time all year he’s got his ground. Seamie said he just keeps on finding in that and the further he goes, the better he goes.
“I thought they might get to him, but there was no way. Seamie said there was no way they were ever going to get near him, he just kept picking up.
“I think there might be a race in Rome for him. He wants soft ground and he just loves it.”
Quick double
Harrington bagged a quick double when Dark Viper claimed the following Gables Foxrock Cup Handicap under Keithen Kennedy.
The 10/3 shot led over a furlong from home and was always doing enough in the closing stages to hold Terre De Vega by three parts of a length.
“He’s won two this year and he’s been placed, he rarely runs a bad race, which is fantastic. He’s very consistent,” said Harrington of Dan Kiely’s gelding.
“He’s creeping up now and we might just give him one more run on the last day of the year.
“He actually goes on any ground and has run well on the all-weather as well. He’s very versatile.”
THE Bahrain Turf Club October Handicap produced a controversial finish with Blake getting the verdict in the stewards’ room.
Navy Waters led a furlong and a half from home in the mile and a half contest, but soon started to edge to her right and veered across Blake inside the final furlong.
It caused his jockey Chris Hayes to snatch up on the Noel Meade-trained gelding, who eventually went down by three and a quarter lengths in the €45,000 contest.
The stewards felt it was enough to affect the result and they then reversed the placings of the first two finishers.
Meade said: “To be honest, they nearly had to give it to him. You can’t stop them to that degree, can you?
“It’s a nice pot to win and he’ll run in the maiden hurdle at Down Royal on Saturday week. That’s the plan.
“He jumps great and we’re looking forward to him heading over hurdles.”
Convincing winner
There was no doubt in the preceding 10-furlong handicap as Pillar Of Hope ran out a convincing seven-length winner for Paul Sweeney.
Paddy McGettigan sent his mount to the front a furlong and a half down and he powered clear in the closing stages to score at 17/2.
“He won the Apprentice Derby for us with Paddy on him as well. Paddy is local to us in Letterkenny and we like to keep it local,” said Sweeney.
“That’s our fourth winner this year and we’ve had six seconds and three or four thirds as well, from six horses.
“It’s a nice enough strike rate and we’ve got a couple of nice horses. They’ve been going well.
“We’re hoping to go to the sales now in Newmarket and stock up to keep the show going.”
DYLAN Browne McMonagle maintained a nice cushion in the jockeys’ title race when Skippinandajumpin finished off well to claim the concluding seven-furlong handicap.
Joseph O’Brien’s charge, carrying his mother Annemarie’s colours, found her feet late to get up for a half-length win over Vlhova.
Browne McMonagle said of the 2/1 favourite: “She’s a filly that has taken a bit of time to come to herself. She warms up into her races well and has always finished off well. She did have to be tough in the last furlong, but thankfully she got there.
“She’s going to keep on improving with a bit of time and I’m delighted to get her head in front.”
Donegal abu
Another Donegal man on the mark earlier was Luke McAteer, who partnered Playin Cool to victory in the opening Fruit Shoot Maiden.
The John Feane-trained gelding came with a strong run inside the final furlong to lead in the last 50 yards and collar Ballydoyle colt Maestro Bernstein. Shamrock Flame also finished well to grab second.
Feane said of Jim Browne’s gelding: “Luke said he didn’t really enjoy the ground, but he stuck at it well and showed plenty of heart.
“He’s a nice type of horse and did it well today. He got in a little bit of trouble turning in, off the heels off horses, and he was still a little bit babyish even after the two runs.”