A TREMENDOUS season for Chance To Dance got even better but did require the intervention of the stewards as Jim Bolger’s teak-tough four-year-old was awarded the Listed Carlingford Stakes at the expense of Obliterator.

As he looked to give Bolger a third straight win in this extended 10-furlong contest, Chance To Dance initially went down by a head to a back to form Obliterator ridden by Colin Keane (8/1).

However, a strong headwind in the straight saw the latter shift right deep inside the last furlong and move into the path of Kevin Manning’s mount who was in the process of making his challenge. This pushed Chance To Dance (5/2) out to the right somewhat and, while he was coming back well at the line, he lost out by a head. The inevitable stewards’ inquiry was called shortly afterwards and it wasn’t a major surprise when an amended result was announced.

Chance To Dance was rounding off a superb season that has seen him win five of his 13 starts and the Jackie Bolger-owned gelding, who didn’t make his racecourse debut until April, has never finished out of the frame. A winner of a €100,000 handicap at Leopardstown during the summer, Chance To Dance was returning to action just five days after losing out to Second Step in the Finale Stakes at the Curragh.

The unfortunate Obliterator did everything right and this represented a very heartening return to form following disappointments in the Irish 2000 and at Royal Ascot. Trainer Ger Lyons and owners Qatar Racing and Sutong Pan have appealed the demotion of Obliterator.

“I think I would have got it. There was plenty of interference in the straight and my horse was gaining with every stride at the line,” said Manning.

Speaking at Naas on Sunday, the winning trainer added: “There’s a chance he could go for the Trigo Stakes at Leopardstown (today). He’s a good horse and he has schooled very well over hurdles already. I thought we had to get it (the race).”

Jim Bolger was also on the mark in the opener as the Rory Cleary-ridden Algonquin (20/1) turned over the 90-rated Sacrificial (4/6) in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C&G) Maiden. The Archipenko colt wasn’t at all disgraced when finishing 10th to Ol’ Man River on his debut at the Curragh and showed good progress from that outing.

In a race featuring quite a strong headwind in the straight, Algonquin moved into a challenging position with over a furlong to run and he led inside the distance to hold off Sacrificial by a short head. The winner is out of owner Kirsten Rausing’s dual English Champion Stakes winner Alborada.

Sparklingsovereign announced herself as a filly of considerable potential as the Shane Donohoe inmate belied odds of 33/1 to with a dominant display in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Median Auction Maiden. The two-year-old daughter of Archipenko, whose dam is a half-sister to the top class international runner Caitano, raced a little freely early on for Leigh Roche. However, when she was asked to quicken up early in the straight, Sparklingsovereign stormed into a commanding lead and she was eased down nearing the line to hand out a five-length beating to Belezza Oscura.

“She’s been working well but I didn’t think she’d do that,” declared Donohoe whose wife Samantha owns the winner. “She galloped to the line well and is a nice, scopey filly. She’ll probably be sold now.”

Seven days after giving jockey Conor McGovern his first winner, Slipper Orchid (11/4) struck again under the young jockey in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap. A cool McGovern switched his mount out from behind the leaders to make her challenge approaching the last furlong and Slipper Orchid steadily got the better of Kiss The Stars to prevail by a length. The ultra-consistent Carol Roper-owned grey was notching up her fourth win of the season.

“She’s an unbelievably genuine filly and taking 10lb off her again was a great help and Conor gave her a lovely ride,” stated Michael Halford. “She’ll come back up here next Friday for the Cooley Stakes. She’s already listed placed and she loves it here.”

An industrious 2014 for the Raymond Doyle-owned Strait Of Zanzibar continued as the Ken Condon stalwart notched up his fourth win of the campaign in the mile handicap. The hardy five-year-old, who has now run 18 times this term, made the running for Shane Foley and began to stretch the field from early in the straight. The 12/1 chance had the race in safe keeping over the last furlong and he finished with two and a half lengths to spare over Maudlin Magdalen who had chased him throughout.

Foley then made it a double as Minot Street (16/1) notched up the first triumph of his career in the second division of the 47-65 rated handicap over an extended 10 furlongs. John McConnell’s charge seized control of the race with over a furlong to run and defeated Victor’s Beach by three and a half lengths. Happily Fergal Lynch emerged unscathed when his mount Havelock Ellis clipped heels and came down early in the straight.

“He’s a fun horse for the syndicate (Newlands Racing Club), which my father runs, and he’ll be back up here and he might go jumping too,” reported McConnell.

Earlier, Donnacha O’Brien rode the fifth winner of his career on the Reggie Roberts-owned and trained Misty Lane (12/1) in the apprentice handicap. On her first outing since a below par effort at the Galway Festival, the always prominent Misty Lane defeated the well-backed favourite Beat The Ballot by three lengths.

Iggy Madden and Wayne Lordan teamed up to claim the first division of the extended 10-furlong handicap where Solar Heat (14/1) made short work of her opponents. The daughter of Jeremy eased to the front turning for home and soon held a decent lead which she maintained to the line.

“That’s just her second flat run for me. She was too keen here last time but Wayne gave her a proper ride and hung on to her until the straight,” commented Madden, whose charge is owned by the West To East Syndicate. “She didn’t take to hurdling in the past but we might try her back over hurdles at Galway.”

Acting Stewards

P.N. Reynolds, A. Byrne, E. Galvin, Mrs T.K. Cooper, P.D. Matthews

Horse To Follow

BELEZZA OSCURA (M. Halford): She followed an encouraging debut third here last month with a second to the smart-looking Sparklingsovereign and she has shown enough to indicate that a maiden success is achieveable soon.