JUST five lined up for the Listed Coolmore Stud Tipperary Stakes, with the Eddie and Patrick Harty-trained Arugam Bay leading from pillar to post under Chris Hayes. Sent off the fourth choice of punters at 13/2, the Soldier’s Call filly had all her rivals in trouble with over a furlong to go.

Owned and bred by Michael Roe, son of the late nine-time champion flat jockey Johnny, she ultimately eased to a length-and-a-quarter win, with First Approach and 11/10 favourite Fresh Fade well beaten off in second and third respectively.

“We’ve liked her since we got her in January, and she’s just a quick, straightforward filly. We’ve never seen where the bottom is,” Patrick Harty commented.

“We came here quietly confident that her homework was suggesting that she would be good enough, not necessarily to do what she did there but to bring home blacktype. She’s learning all the time and is potentially a very good filly.”

’He’s a quick horse’

While having to settle for second in that feature contest, Aidan O’Brien and Wayne Lordan were earlier successful with Kansas (8/11 favourite) in the opening five-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

In first time cheekpieces, the Derek Smith-owned bay was settled behind the leaders and while briefly looking vulnerable with over a furlong to go, he picked up well inside the final 150 yards, going on to deny the front-running Jack The Bachelor by half a length.

“He’s fast and the last two days he got to the front too quick and pulled up, but Wayne gave him a very good ride,” O’Brien reported.

“He’s a quick horse and I’d say that is going to be his trip.”

THE extended Coen family enjoyed a fruitful evening, with cousins Ben and Sam registering three wins between them. Combining with his boss Johnny Murtagh, Ben registered a double, with their initial success coming aboard Amber Blossom in the Racing Again Tomorrow Fillies Handicap.

With his intended mount a non-runner, Coen replaced Rory Mulligan on this Zoustar three-year-old. Pushed along behind the leaders from early, the 15/2 chance picked up well when ridden inside the final furlong, getting up in the dying strides to beat Kinda Tiny by a neck.

“She handles the all-weather well, so good to firm ground today probably suited her,” Murtagh said of the Weld-Spec (Glasgow) Ltd-owned victor. Ben gave her a great ride and she’s going to the July Sale next week.”

Double up

Registering a second course and distance win, Onemoredance completed the quickfire Murtagh/Coen brace in the @tipperaryraces Handicap. Well-supported from early shows of 11/2, the 66-rated bay was eventually returned the 10/3 favourite.

Never far from the pace, the Whyte Hickey Rafter Kilkenny Syndicate-owned victor was pushed along to lead from the two-furlong pole and soon skipped a few lengths clear.

Keeping up the gallop when ridden, she eventually came home a length and three quarters to the good, with Wonderfulwonderful filling the runner-up spot.

“She ran well the last day and the horse that beat her (Starford) won again last night at Roscommon,” Murtagh remarked. “It’s great to have the owner (Dublin footballer Ciaran Kilkenny) here with a smile on his face after last weekend.”

Sam’s success

Sam Coen’s success came aboard the Derek Kierans-owned Skillman Ave (5/1) in the Tipperary Town Apprentice Handicap. Down to a mark of 68, from an initial rating of 77, the Gavin Cromwell-trained three-year-old raced in a share of the lead from flag fall.

Marginally headed inside the final furlong, the €135,000 yearling purchase battled back gamely when ridden, getting up to defeat nine-year-old Realtin Fantasy by a neck.

“I was told to ride her good and forward with a lot of aggression and she’d keep galloping. She was good and hardy, got headed and galloped on again,” Coen, who was partnering his first winner for Cromwell, reflected.

“20 DAYS ago I had a triple heart bypass, so this is better than any medication,” Martin Hassett enthused after the success of Harry’s Hill, with grandnephew Wayne aboard, in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race.

Turned out again quickly after finishing fourth in the Rockingham at the Curragh on Sunday and in against a field of three-year-olds, the admirable Tipp Ramblers Partnership-owned bay was returned at 3/1.

Despite having plenty to find on ratings with 1/2 favourite Sir Yoshi, the seven-year-old was pushed along to lead from the furlong pole and kept on well when ridden, ultimately coming home a length clear of the market leader.

“He’s won nine times, won over €160,000 and only cost €12,000. He’s a star horse and every year he pulls something out of the bag,” the successful Killenaule-based handler added.

“He just dipped his head as the gate opened in the Rockingham. We wouldn’t have beaten the winner, but he still ran a great race. He was second in the Joe McGrath last year at the Curragh and we could aim for that again.”

Big price

There was further Premier County joy in the concluding TipperaryRaces.ie Handicap, with the Eamonn O’Connell-trained Chou Chou springing a 40/1 surprise.

The lowest-rated runner in the line-up on a mark of 42 and placed once in 21 previous starts, the chesnut son of Belardo came from off the pace under Killian Leonard.

Pushed along approaching the straight and soon brought to the outer, he began to pick off rivals when ridden with over a furlong to go, getting up in the final strides to beat Thegooseiscooked (7/2 joint-favourite) by a head.

“He’s had bits of form. We had tongue ties and cheek pieces on him but left everything off today,” O’Connell, who is based in the nearby village of Cullen, explained.

“He’s a quirky auld devil and put his head down and tried today. He liked the quicker ground. The owners (We Built This City Syndicate) are all local and are happy out.”