FRONT runners dominated this seven-race programme, with no less than five winners making all. Figaruso was the first of them in the opening Follow Tote On X Claiming Race, with this well-backed six-year-old overcoming a near three-year layoff.
Starting off for Banbridge owner/trainer Matt Quinn and available at 50/1 in early shows for this mile-and-a-half heat, the Fullbright bay eventually returned at 15/2. Pressed on his inner by Pachmena with over two-furlongs to go, he soon closed the door on that rival.
Ridden from the furlong pole, he kept finding for pressure, holding off the effort of Serotonin by three-quarters of a length, with the aforementioned Pachmena a neck away in third.
Providing Mikey Sheehy with his first winner since returning from injury, the Kilkenny native was later found guilty of careless riding and suspended for two days.
“He is a nice horse and everything he does at home he does easy,” Bernie Quinn, daughter of the winning handler, explained.
Gavin Cromwell later claimed the winner for €8,000, with the third leaving his Danestown base for the same amount. The Spoonful Of Irish Syndicate and Declan Carroll picked up this eight-year-old, who will now be trained by Matthew Smith.
Roche’s redemption
While having to settle for second on Serotonin, Leigh Roche went a place better aboard Miss Gitana in the Tote Never Beaten By SP Handicap.
Briefly touching 14s in early shows, the Gordon Elliott-trained four-year-old was eventually sent off at 5/1 in the colours of John Lynch and Eugene Blaney.
A dual winner in the UK when in the care of Sir Mark Prescott, the Nathaniel four-year-old proved game from the front and, while pressed with over two furlongs to go, she ultimately held off the effort of Sequoiaspirit by half a length.
“I got my own way in front and got a good breather into her up around the hill. She is not overly big, but she is genuine, tough and fit,” Roche reported.
Macaroney makes it
The betting suggested the tote.ie Maiden was a two-horse race and so it proved, with Jeaniemacaroney (9/4) leading from pillar to post under Dylan Browne McMonagle.
While pressed by Seo Linn (8/13 favourite) with over two furlongs to go, the Joseph O’Brien-trained victor had the measure of the market leader from the furlong pole, with a length and three-quarters between them on crossing the line.
“She jumped and travelled. She is straightforward, so I was able dictate things in front,” the winning rider said of the J.P. McManus-owned five-year-old. “I thought the favourite would be hard to beat, but our one has been hitting the crossbar, and deserved to get her head in front.”
AN ever-popular figure at his local track, Henry de Bromhead scooped the feature Tote Tramore Derby Handicap with the 43-rated Stepdance (3/1).
The Footstepsinthesand chesnut raced in mid-division under Wayne Hassett, taking closer order with half a mile to go. Pushed along to lead over a furlong out, she kept on well from there to beat the running on Spinning Web by a length and three-quarters.
“I’m delighted for her owners, the Dawsons (of Charobana Ltd). They are great supporters and my father trained for their father many moons ago, so we have a lot of history together,” de Bromhead revealed.
“Wayne gave her a super ride, she’d be working well and when those fillies start winning anything could happen. I’ve entered her in an apprentice race at Limerick on Saturday, but we’ll see.”
Off the mark
Owned and trained by Mick Mulvany, Ina Mina was another registering a first career win, with this Ulysses four-year-old trouncing her rivals in the Racing TV Handicap. Gotta Catch’em All and Out On Friday set a ferocious gallop from the outset, with the winner settled in third by Wesley Joyce.
Returned at 4/1, she improved to lead with over two furlongs to go and soon powered clear, eventually easing to a 15-length win.
“I have her about seven weeks now and we are finding out a little bit about her along the way,” Mulvaney reflected.
“She is a filly that seems to be strengthening up and hopefully the handicapper doesn’t go mad now.
“We might go back to Ballinrobe and obviously we might look at Galway too.”
IT was a case of two rides, two winners for Chris Hayes, with the Co Limerick native striking first aboard No Niki No (5/1) in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap.
Trained by Eoghan O’Neill and owned by his wife Melissa, Hayes kept it simple from the front aboard this nine-year-old bay. Responding well when ridden, she extended her advantage inside the final furlong and had three lengths to spare at the line.
“You’d swear she’d been around here 100 times because she was changing her lead, giving herself a bit of room and then cutting the bends,” Hayes disclosed. “I don’t know what the plans are, but she’s in foal and I presume they are going to run out of time shortly.”
Hayes completed his 26/1 brace on Make Good (7/2 from 5s) in the concluding Racing TV Free Trial Now Handicap. The Joe Murray-trained 10-year-old was yet another to dominate from the front.
Pushed along with over two-furlongs to go, the Paul Newman-owned bay soon skipped clear and kept on strongly when ridden, ultimately easing to a nine-and-a-half-length win.
“The ground was my concern, but when I saw the draw (one) I thought I’d keep it nice and simple,” Hayes remarked.
“We just thought at this two-mile trip to ride him good and forward and he stuck at it well.”