THE Bet With Tote On Racing & Sports Irish EBF Vinnie Roe Stakes was the feature race at Leopardstown’s final evening meeting of the summer and Highwayman (22/1) led home a 1-2 for trainer Joseph O’Brien in the listed contest over one mile, six furlongs.

Scott McCullagh’s mount availed of a lovely seam on the inner turning for home and soon took closer order.

After heading the front-running Wyman inside the final furlong, he stayed on well to win by two and a quarter lengths from Cannes.

A wide-margin maiden winner at Killarney on his previous start, the Persian King colt carries the Galway Plate-winning colours of John Neocleous.

“He’s a lovely, straightforward horse with a great temperament, and is improving run to run,” said stable representative Michael Halford.

“I’d say he just needed time, he just took a while to come to himself. Now that he’s come to himself, he has really stepped up in spades.”

Third time lucky

Runner-up on her first two starts, the Aidan O’Brien-trained So Lovely landed odds of 2/5 in the Tote-backed Irish EBF Fillies Maiden over seven furlongs.

By Wootton Bassett out of the top-class Love and owned by the Coolmore partners, Wayne Lordan’s mount led just after halfway and defeated Zenith Blaze by a length and a half.

“She came into this obviously with two lovely runs in two very good maidens,” said stable representative Chris Armstrong.

“She’s a filly that’s crying out for a mile. Just the way the programme presented, we thought we’d bring her here and Aidan thought she’d be very hard to beat.

“She could be a very high-class filly going forward. Come the end of the year, she could be a filly for something like the Fillies Mile or the Boussac. Lovely to have the three runs under her belt and stepping up to a mile will be her forte.”

RUNNER-up in two of his five previous starts, Banks Of The Boyne (9/4 favourite) put that experience to good use when making all under Wesley Joyce in the Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden over seven furlongs.

The Space Traveller gelding, bought for €3,000 as a yearling, held Sovreigns Joy by three-quarters of a length

“He’s a good, honest horse and was probably crying out for that trip,” said owner/trainer Michael Mulvany.

“We came here for the Incentive Bonus scheme and we’ll probably target some of these sales finals with him, he’ll be in at a nice light weight.”

Making all

Uncle Goalie (11/4) was another to make all and he just held on by a nose from fast-finishing My Shayla in the Leopardstown Golf, Padel and Range Maiden over a mile.

A second winner of the season for Bagenalstown-based trainer Rory Devine, the Galileo Gold colt carries the colours of Miss E C Ryan.

“He’s latched on for the first couple of furlongs,” said winning rider Gavin Ryan. “After that, he’s got into a nice rhythm and he probably got lonely in the straight. He seems to handle any type of ground and I think he’s a horse that’s going to improve plenty for it.”

A WELL-backed third at the Galway Festival, the Adam Caffrey-ridden Ben Hur (7/4 favourite) recouped those losses in the Money Back Daily Specials With Tote.ie Handicap over a mile and five furlongs.

The dual-purpose Coulsty gelding, owned by Philip Polly and Michael Dorman, was produced to lead inside the final furlong and scored by half a length from Cooley’s Mist.

Trainer Noel Meade remarked: “I thought Adam went to the front very early in Galway. He was travelling really well, but he went to the front nearly at the bottom of the hill, and it wasn’t the day to do that.

“He made up for it today! He’s a nice horse. All going well, he’ll probably turn up in the Lartigue Hurdle at Listowel.”

Close finish

Only three lengths covered the eight runners, as they crossed the line in the Dublin To Bahrain Fillies Handicap over a mile and it was Tachos (3/1 favourite), who recorded a second course success.

Owned by Colvin Ryan, the Gleneagles five-year-old was fitted with cheekpieces for the first time. Chris Hayes moved his mount closer to Thrifty Of Digby into the straight and rode her to the front racing to the final furlong, eventually getting home by a reducing head from the rallying front-runner.

“She ran a very good race here two weeks ago from a 25 draw, she ran third. I thought, with a decent draw today, she’d win,” said trainer Dermot Weld.

“She’s very consistent around here, and always runs well no matter what draw she has. I would hope to come back here on Champions Weekend for the fillies’ and mares’ handicap.”

Naoi wins for Liverpool legend

Owned, in partnership with Micheal Ryan, by Liverpool’s all-time record goal-scorer Ian Rush, Naoi (20/1) made a winning stable debut for trainer Willie McCreery, when landing the Unio Employee Benefits Handicap over seven furlongs.

The daughter of Siyouni came from off the pace under Sam Coen to defeat Free Solo by three-quarters of a length.

“She’s very well bred and it’s important to get a win for her,” said McCreery. “I want to try and get her over to Chester, because Ian is from there.

“There are a few races for her next month, so we’ll aim for there. The whole thing is to get a win in Chester, so the pressure is really on now!”