STRONG favourite Soul Love gave trainer Karl Burke his fifth Naas success when winning the Listed Yeomanstown Stud Irish EBF Stakes, marking the third consecutive year it had gone for export.

A first winner in Ireland for jockey Pierre-Louis Jamin, the David Ward-owned 11/8 chance gained a definite advantage two furlongs out and gamely held the late run of Joseph O’Brien’s 25/1 shot Dancing Saxon by half a length, with another length and a quarter back to Fregada in third.

Return trip

A return trip to Naas for the Ballyogan Stakes on Sunday, August 23rd is on the cards for Soul Love, who was winning for the fourth time in just six starts.

“Here and Leopardstown have been very lucky for me,” Burke said. “We were very hopeful but you never know what you’re taking on really. I don’t know the form as well over here, but I knew she’s tough and I thought the track would suit her. All she did was stay, fair play to the filly for giving the penalty away. There’s a Group 3 back here in a month’s time and that would be high on the list, I would think.”

Work in progress

Suzie Songs, who won a Group 3 as a juvenile, returned to winning ways in the concluding Naas Racecourse Race over seven furlongs for Ger Lyons and owner/breeder Moyglare Stud.

She led under Colin Keane on the run to the furlong-pole to win by a length and a quarter from Sheila Lavery’s 100/30 shot Fort Vega with Paddy Twomey’s Phenomenal Filly, the 10/11 favourite, a head away in third place.

Lyons said of his 2/1 winner: “She’s a frustrating girl. Obviously her two-year-old form is phenomenal, but we lost her. She’s a bigger girl now. She’s done a lot of growing but that’s good. However I wouldn’t get carried away; we are still a work in progress.”

THE Paddy Twomey-trained Big Negotiator kept the Listed Arqana Irish EBF Marwell Stakes for two-year-olds at home, as she recorded her second win in a first-time visor.

Wayne Lordan made all the running on the 11/1 chance to beat Harry Eustace’s raider Shimmering Sun by a length and a quarter, with two and a half lengths back to Jessica Harrington’s Belle Of The Ball in third.

Twomey’s 6/5 favourite Concorde Landed and Billy Lee were keen to post and finished fourth in the same Bond Thoroughbred colours worn by the winner. Of the winner, Twomey said: “It was her sixth run so she is good and hardy. She was unlucky here the last day against the colts. She was pushed across the track.

“She is a good, tough filly and I’m very happy for her. The other lady (Concorde Landed) looked a bit fresh and I just thought she took a bad step there, maybe a furlong down, if you watch it back. She’ll come on from it.”

Super attitude

Lordan was also successful in the opening Matchbook Exchange Irish EBF Maiden on the Aidan O’Brien-trained 2/1 shot Man’s Best Friend. He was well on top for the Coolmore partners at the line, winning by two and a quarter lengths from the Josh Halley-trained 16/1 chance Zoar.

Ballydoyle representative Chris Armstrong said: “He had a lovely run the first day and the race is working out nicely. In fairness, he is a very professional colt.

“Wayne was delighted with him there. He’s got a super attitude; powerful, big strong horse. Wayne said he’s comfortable at six (furlongs) but will have no problem going seven.”

HOPES are high that the Taceec Syndicate-owned Eddie G is heading to Galway next week after his last-gasp victory in the seven-furlong NFP Handicap for Ado McGuinness and Adam Caffrey.

The 18/1 chance denied Johnny Feane’s Spodo Komodo by a neck and the winning trainer said: “Where he was rated, he wasn’t going to get a run next week in Galway, that’s why he is here.

“They are Galway lads that own him, the Connollys. He was (rated) 73, so he wasn’t going to get in. If he is getting in and he’s okay, he’ll go there.”

In form

Gotta Catch’em All (7/1) backed-up his recent success at Navan with a cosy win for Harry Rogers and Siobhan Rutledge in the Forte Healthcare Handicap.

The Susan Bury, Ralph Kelly, Odhran O’Neill and Thomas Cox-owned six-year-old was another to make all the running and scored by a length and a quarter from Mark Fahey’s 3/1 favourite I Bid You Ajou.

Rogers said: “We have a few (horses) that are alright. The few owners I have are very good. Very loyal. This lad has been running over much further. I just put the blinkers on him one morning and they seemed to light him up. I’d say he’ll stay further but we’ll keep him at this distance for the time being.”

Owner’s pet

Michael Mulvany and Terry Casey shared their second winner of the week as Dinamine overcame a slow start to take the O’Neill & Co. Apprentice Handicap for owner/breeder Sean Finnegan.

Soon in mid-division, the 17/2 chance closed on the leaders with two furlongs to race and asserted inside the final furlong, winning by a length and a quarter from Pat Foley’s Famous Enough who had given away even more ground to his rivals from the stalls.

Mulvany said: “He’s been doing that a little bit lately (missing the break). He’d done the same in Bellewstown and he came home like a train that night. The lads are delighted with him. He is a fun horse, kind of a pet for the lad that owns him, Sean Finnegan. Hopefully we can keep him going.”