DYLAN Browne McMonagle moved four ahead (67-63) of Colin Keane in the jockeys’ championship when partnering the first three winners on the card for a 94/1 treble. The most impressive performance of the trio was Caught U Sleeping in the Irish EBF Median Sires Fillies Maiden where she scored by a length and a quarter at odds of 17/2.
Owned by Anthony Clarke, this daughter of Cotai Glory made a winning debut after making headway from mid-division to lead inside the final furlong and kept on well to beat Running Point, who was staying on late; however, the victor was only ever doing enough in front.
“We thought from the first time we got her that she was good,” Noel Meade said. “She is a bit fizzy, and I was afraid that she might boil up, but she didn’t at all.
“With those sorts of fillies, you nearly have to go for a stakes race. Dylan was positive about her after the race and said she pricked her ears when she hit the front and didn’t really know what was going on.”
O’Callaghan gets in on the action
The next two races were also captured by Dylan Browne McMonagle, which subsequently gave trainer Michael O’Callaghan a double on the day. The first of this duo was Dawn Romance, who opened her account at the third attempt in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.
The 11/8 chance was positioned prominently, before taking the lead inside the final 50 yards. She faced real threats from the fast-finishing duo of You’ll Think Of Me and Struck By Her, but the daughter of Mehmas managed to just last home.
“She’s very laidback,” said O’Callaghan regarding the Dawn Romance Partnership’s filly. “She’s a filly that we hold in decent regard, but she might just need a bit of headgear. She’s the most genuine filly you could have.
“She has an entry in the Cheveley Park, and she could get an entry for the Round Tower next weekend. Six is her trip and fast ground.”
No signs of fading
Fresh Fade completed the treble in the colours of the Fresh Fade Partnership, winning the Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden at 16/5. The son of Cotai Glory made the early running, but was headed by Unbreakable Duke over two furlongs out and then battled on under pressure to regain the advantage inside the final 50 yards and stayed on to score by a neck.
“He’s a horse that we’ve liked and he’s very genuine,” Michael O’Callaghan said. “Up to today he’s been too enthusiastic. He’d no luck the last day over seven, so we kept things simple and dropped back to six here. He’s in a nursery (at Navan) on Thursday, so we’ll see how he comes out of it.”
Sky MaHaggas raids the Ballyogan>
WILLIAM Haggas’ swift raid on Naas proved successful as Sky Majesty landed the Group 3 Tally-Ho Stud Irish EBF Ballyogan Stakes under Tom Marquand. Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy’s filly raced prominently throughout this contest and led from over a furlong out. Always doing enough to keep the staying-on Vespertilio at bay, she kept on well inside the final furlong to win by a length and three-quarters at odds of even money.
“She was good over here the last day,” reported Marquand. “She was a Group 2 winner last year and is coming back to herself now. She felt fantastic there today off a much better pace.
“They’ll be looking to get Group 1 form into her. She’s really improving on into the deep end of the season.”
Not for catching
Eddie and Patrick Harty’s Carla Ridge finished third in the Group 3 feature and the training partnership got on the board with Areana in the Hartes Group Apprentice Handicap under Jessica Gorman. After an absence of 260 days, this six-year-old mare was well-backed from 33/1 overnight into a starting price of 11/2, and made all to score by five lengths.
“We don’t have her that long,” Eddie Harty said of the Eamonn Crawford-owned mare. “I thought it was a very good ride for a 7lb-claimer.
“I’d say that’s the lower end of her stamina and we won’t run her over any shorter. She could go back over hurdles.”
REYENZI was sent off a well-backed 8/11 favourite in the concluding TRM Staysound Cooling Clay Handicap and looked likely to justify the confidence a quarter of a mile from home. However, he was reeled in by the Sam Sangster and Lee Warren-owned, Cap Saint Martin who stayed on well in the closing stages under Wayne Hassett to score by a length and three-quarters at odds of 8/1.
Trainer Joseph O’Brien was represented by Kevin Blake, who said: “He won a Curragh maiden and looked promising. He disappointed at Leopardstown, was gelded and given a bit of time. I thought Wayne gave him a particularly good ride. He looked potentially progressive last year, so maybe gelding crowned him.”
In the money
Pinmoney built on his recent runner-up effort, and with the tongue tie applied, he captured the Good Guess At Tally-Ho Handicap under Shane Foley for trainer Danny Murphy at 10/1. Racing towards the rear, he switched left to get a clear run under two furlongs and hit the front inside the final 100 yards, keeping on to win by a length and three-quarters.
“I thought he’d improved from the run in Sligo,” Danny Murphy reported. “Shane thinks he can win again.”