THE classy Magnanimous secured a deserved first success at listed level as he claimed the Glencairn Stakes in the style of one who could easily hold his own at a higher level later this summer, with a trip to Ascot now likely to be on his agenda.
A talented and reliable juvenile, the Joseph O’Brien-trained son of Mehmas had already shown that he had trained on well with his three efforts this season headed by a second-place finish in the Tetrarch Stakes. On his first try at a mile this season, the HLT Partnership-owned Magnanimous (8/1) oozed class and did enough to warrant a tilt the Jersey Stakes at the Royal meeting.
As is his wont, Magnanimous travelled very well through the race for Shane Crosse and he picked up nicely to lead approaching the last furlong before taking several lengths out of the field. At the line he had two lengths to spare over another smart three-year-old in Fourhometwo, with the favourite Sinawann taking third.
“He’d a good run here behind Poetic Flare earlier in the season and the last day in Naas Shane just felt he was all over the place on the ground,” said the trainer’s representative Brendan Powell.
“He deserved that, he’s done it well and seven furlongs or a mile suits him well.”
Excellent
An excellent few days for Ger Lyons’s juvenile string continued into this fixture where Juncture (11/10) won the Yeomanstown Stud ‘Shaman’ Irish EBF Fillies Maiden over just short of seven furlongs.
This Juddmonte-owned daughter of Dark Angel shaped up well on her debut to chase home Contarelli Chapel at Naas in late April and was all the better for that run and this longer trip. Juncture eased into the lead well over a furlong out and quickly opened up a commanding lead which saw her hit the line three and a quarter lengths ahead of Radiyka.
“She had two weeks off after her first run as we do with a lot of ours and hopefully she’ll improve again for this,” remarked the trainer’s brother Shane. “She’ll get further but this trip is fine for her and we’ll go steadily with her as it’s a long year.”
FERNANDO Vichi, who was third to Bolshoi Ballet in the Derrinstown Derby Trial last time, provided the Derby favourite with a late form boost by winning the Listed Nijinsky Stakes and earn his own shot at classic glory.
The Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez-owned son of Australia, who won his maiden here last summer, made all the running for Gavin Ryan and after being granted an easy lead and had his rivals in serious difficulty when he quickened up the pace turning in. From well over a furlong out the 5/1 shot looked to be holding an unassailable lead and although The Mediterranean closed in late on, he was still three-parts of a length adrift at the line.
“He got it easy in front but I liked the way he quickened up and he stays very well too,” remarked the trainer. “After winning this he’s entitled to a shot at the Irish Derby so that is where he will go next and after that we could look at stepping him up in trip.”
Joe Murphy is already into double figures for the season as Overheer continued his excellent run of form by justifying 7/2 favouritism in the first divide of the 50-85 rated Plusvital Handicap over a mile.
Oisin Orr’s mount was nicely placed on the heels of the leaders turning in and his steady effort got him to the front in the last 50 yards for a half-length triumph over Kosman. Overheer is likely to turn out again at Gowran on Monday.
Eagle’s Flight (17/2) built on a fine third to Tauran Shaman here last month by pouncing late in the second division of that mile handicap where he overcame a potentially troublesome wide draw.
As the runners turned for home Michael Halford’s charge was produced with a sustained charge on the outer by Ronan Whelan and he swept to the front late in the day to defeat Dream Tale by three-parts of a length.
BACK to the scene of his unprecedented 300/1 triumph last August, He Knows No Fear (11/1) provided owner-trainer-breeder Luke Comer with his first success of the season in a well-contested nine-furlong handicap.
Chris Hayes arrived late on the four-year-old who got home by a neck from Theophile, with the slow-starting Tauran Shaman the same distance away in third. He Knows No Fear was improving on a pleasing sixth behind his last-named opponent at this track last month.
“It’s great for the boss and he has done a great job with him. He gets a huge kick out of the ones he breeds,” commented the trainer’s representative Jim Gorman. “This horse likes it here and we’ll look at the premier handicap over a mile on Derby Weekend and then the old Golden Pages (Nasrullah) Handicap back here next month.”
Richard O’Brien and Scott McCullagh combined for their third winner of the season as Morph Speed (7/2) edged a tight finish to the RACE Academy Apprentice Handicap over just short of a mile and five furlongs. The versatile Kate Hassett-owned son of Morpheus showed a fine attitude in the closing stages to edge out recent course winner No Say Ever by a head and he is most likely bound for the Apprentice Derby at the Curragh later this month.
Scott McCullagh went on to make it a memorable day on Jessica Harrington’s Aurora Princess who sprang a 50/1 surprise in first-time blinkers in the 45-70 rated three-year-old handicap over 10 furlongs. In the colours of her breeder, Yasushi Kubota, this filly returned to the form of her debut third in a Thurles maiden last October as she struck for home early in the straight and maintained a clear advantage to defeat Powerful Kieran by two and a quarter lengths.