TRAINER Kevin Coleman didn’t make the journey up from Carrick-on-Suir, but will have enjoyed watching two of his horses hit the target at Sligo’s flat meeting on Wednesday.

Runner-up in last year’s renewal of the feature Irish Stallion Farms EBF Connacht Oaks Fillies & Mares Handicap, having won at the Galway festival, Thatwilldoso (13/8 favourite) did things the other way around in 2026 and improved from a narrow defeat at Ballybrit to beat four rivals under Rory Cleary.

Officially 3lb well in, the Berkshire mare, owned by the ThatWillDoSo Syndicate, got the better of a good tussle with Chica Guerrera by a head in the extended 10-furlong contest.

“She’s been a great servant to me for the last two seasons,” said Cleary.

“She only does enough in front, but when the second horse got to my quarters, it helped me get to the line.

“She’s versatile from a mile and a quarter to a mile and a half, and handles any ground, as long as there isn’t firm in it.”

Fine Art

Owned and bred by the trainer’s mother Eileen, Sand Art (10/1) completed Coleman’s brace in the Baader - Eddie Carr PBR 2000 Handicap over six furlongs.

Wearing first-time blinkers, the US Navy Flag colt broke smartly and soon bagged the rail from stall two, going on to make all and hold Apothic Red by half a length.

Julian Pietropaolo said: “We knew he had plenty of ability and the blinkers definitely sharpened him.

“Today’s trip is right for him and it’s great to ride a winner for Kevin, he’s a big supporter of mine.”

RORY Cleary recorded a double of his own when the well-backed Canon Law (5/2) made most to easily beat Cascade Canyon by eight lengths in the Guinness Handicap over a mile and five furlongs.

It was a third winner from his four most recent runners for trainer Brendan Duke, who reacted with typical understatement.

“We’re here in Sligo, in the shadow of Ben Bulben. I read Yeats’ poetry for my Leaving Cert, and that wasn’t today nor yesterday!

“It’s great for my owners Martin Hayes and Peter Slezak, and my wife Shirley. I said to her last week that I thought I could have four winners in the next two weeks. She told me to go into the bedroom, she’d pull the curtains, make me a cup of tea and call the doctor - that was the confidence she had!

“We’ve been a long time in the wilderness, but we’ve come out of the shadows now. It was a bit quick for this horse the last day at Cork, and he appreciated the easier ground today.”

Well backed throughout the day, Paddy Twomey’s Hi Corbett Court justified 10/11 favouritism in the John Gilligan Memorial Nursery over six furlongs.

Twomey on top

The handicap debutant tracked the leaders under Billy Lee and went on over a furlong out to readily defeat Mr Montauk by three and a half lengths.

When complimented for being in attendance with his horses so often, even at the smaller tracks, Twomey quipped: “I think it’s part of my job to go racing!”

“We felt he fitted into this race nicely. If I’m allowed, I’d like to run him in a nursery at the Curragh on the 16th, but we’ll see what the handicapper does.

“The owners [Corbett Court Partnership] had a runner in the Goffs Millions last year and enjoyed the experience, and I think he’d manage seven [furlongs], so I’d say that might be his ultimate target.”

Patrick McGettigan picked up a four-day suspension for careless riding after fifth-placed Woodlawn Lily [subsequently demoted a place] caused interference in the straight.

LEADING jockey at Galway this year, Billy Lee had earlier guided Ken Condon’s Taj Crown (6/1) to a first success in the Carlsberg Optional Claiming Race over an extended 10 furlongs.

Owned by the trainer’s wife Pauline, the New Bay four-year-old was produced late to beat Glittering Gem by a neck.

“I got plenty of cover today and there was plenty to aim at, and she enjoyed that,” said Lee.

“She liked the ease in the ground, although anything bar extremes is fine for her.”

The winner was claimed for €15,000 by Eamonn McElligott, to be trained in north Yorkshire by Patrick Neville.

Davis success

Nicely supported from 33/1 into 11/1, Anightaway landed a few bets in the Rockshore Cider Handicap over one mile, five furlongs.

The well-bred five-year-old headed Eastern Wind a furlong out to score by a length and a quarter, giving jockey Jimmy Dalton his sixth winner of the season. “He wasn’t right and, in fairness to my ‘back man’ Shane Rattigan [equine physio, based in Athlone], he did a lot of work with him,” said winning trainer Sean Davis.

“I don’t know much about the market support for him. I said to my partner [and the horse’s owner] Sinead O’Scannail this morning that I thought he’d run well, so maybe she was pressing a few buttons at home! We’ll enjoy this and look for something similar, he seems to stay well.”

Patrona pounces

Sent off evens-favourite, Lady Patrona, owned by trainer Jessica Harrington in partnership with her daughter Kate and Brian Phelan, led early in the straight to take the six-furlong Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden by a length from Emotional Hedging.

“She works very nicely and was only getting her conditions today, she wants a bit of slow ground,” said jockey Keithen Kennedy.

“She did another circuit before I could pull her up, and I think she will stay further.”