THE in-foal Oceania Queen is certainly ending her career in the form of her life and the Pat Martin inmate defied a 10lb rise for a recent Fairyhouse victory by landing the featured Vaughanshoes.ie EBF Fillies Handicap.

The four-year-old, who is owned by Martin’s mother-in-law, Nuala Brennan, was stepping up in grade for this one-mile, five-furlong contest but she had a feather weight and Tom Madden’s 5lb claim to aid her cause.

Oceania Queen (6/1) was travelling notably well in the slipstream of Break My Mind turning for home and then got a vital split on the inner to deliver her challenge. She duly seized this opportunity to come clear in the closing stages, succeeding by a length and three-quarters.

“She’s in-foal to Frozen Power and she’s just thriving at the moment,” said Martin. “I never thought that she’d get this far but she’s gotten stronger and she got the mile and a half well at Fairyhouse last time. We said we’d take a chance today against some better fillies as it was a good pot.”

Back Off Mate (9/4) picked up the 47-70 rated handicap on his first flat start for 10 months. In the interim Arthur Moore’s charge had reached the frame in the likes of the Munster National and the Troytown and he demonstrated commendable versatility with this second flat win.

The patiently ridden top weight didn’t appear to be going all that well at one stage but Sean Corby got him into contention over the final half mile. Back Off Mate then took charge early in the straight to defeat the front-running Muinin by three lengths.

“He’ll go back over fences for the Midlands National at Kilbeggan. It’s a lovely race and should suit him well,” stated Moore who trains the winner for Marcus Beresford. “He got a nice ride from Sean.”

REGALLY-BRED

The regally-bred Sherlock Holmes (11/8) made all the running to get off the mark at the second attempt in the Vaughanshoes.ie EBF Maiden which completed a double for Aidan O’Brien.

The half-brother to the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Drosselmeyer relished every yard of this one mile, five furlongs as evidenced by his stout display. Sherlock Holmes began to press for home with half a mile to run but leaving the backstraight he still had to shake off the attentions of Pincode and Creative Talent. Joseph O’Brien’s mount was at his strongest in the closing stages though and finished with two and three-quarter lengths to spare.

“He stays very well and has a good attitude and handled the track well for a horse having just his second start,” reported the winning trainer.

Earlier the Ballydoyle team were on the mark as Best Kept Secret gave Ana O’Brien her second winner of the season in the Vaughanshoes.ie Jennings Meats Handicap.

The Annemarie O’Brien-owned 8/1 chance was looking for his first win in eight starts but had run some solid races in competitive handicaps this season. Best Kept Secret led with just over a furlong to run and the line came in time for him to see off the whirlwind charge of Buzz Off Barroso. The latter only had two rivals behind him with a quarter of a mile to run but finished out his race with a tremendous flourish having lost his place in the backstraight.

BUMPER RUNNERS

Paddy Twomey, who made a notable impression with his bumper runners in the spring, sent out his second winner on the level as Ruler Of France defied top weight in the Vaughanshoes.ie Kateappleby Apprentice Handicap.

A third winner in four days for the promising Jack Kennedy, the four-year-old made the running and he battled well inside the final furlong when Shes No Joke and Chatterton closed right up. At the line the 9/2 chance had a head to spare over Shes No Joke.

“He’s a nice horse who got a lovely ride from Jack. I have a couple in training and was looking for a lead horse last autumn and he came recommended by (former trainer) David Wachman,” stated Twomey. “He’s been running well and he’ll stick to these types of races.”

The Michael Winters-trained Theos Well (5/2) notched up his first triumph since claiming a Listowel bumper in September 2013 as he upstaged the odds-on Cillian’s Return in the Vaughanshoes.ie Ballinrobe Claremorris Castlebar Maiden. Connor King was quite content to look on from the rear before producing the seven-year-old to scythe through the pack over the last quarter of a mile. Theos Well finished with two and a quarter lengths to spare over Cillian’s Return.

“He ran quite well in a flat maiden at Clonmel when Connor rode him and he said to go further on a right-handed track which we did tonight. He could now end up in Galway for a flat handicap,” declared Winters.

Wider World (20/1) made up for an abortive trip to Sligo last week in the Irish Farmers Journal Median Auction Maiden over an extended nine furlongs. Ken Condon’s charge was reluctant to come out to the stalls at Sligo and finished tailed off but she was an entirely different proposition under Fran Berry. She improved from midfield to head Benjalina early in the straight and promptly drew clear to score by five and a half lengths.

The Gravity Partnership-owned filly is the first produce of the Cheltenham Festival winner Silk Affair and comes from a family that goes back to the great Slip Anchor.

“She misbehaved at Sligo but Ken said to put a line through that and he felt on her first run (fourth to Brown Bee) that she could win a country maiden,” remarked Berry. “They probably fell in a bit of a hole up front but it was a good performance.”

HORSE TO FOLLOW

BORUSSIA (A. Leahy): This filly ran respectably when taking fourth in the handicap won by Back Off Mate and her previous flat run this year saw her finish third to Balkinstown at Clonmel. Both displays suggest that a handicap win is within her grasp.

Acting Stewards

R. Groarke, N. Rooney, D. Gavin, J. O’Shaughnessy, M.F. O’Donoghue

Dosing syringe

PADDYTwomey, trainer of Ballinrobe winner Ruler Of France, was fined €500 for failing to inform the stewards that he had a dosing syringe in the stable yard. Bulb syringes are permitted in stableyards to aid horse hydration but dosing syringes are prohibited at racecourses. The syringe, found by a Turf Club official, has been sent for laboratory analysis.

Unsound

NAVEGANTE, who started favourite for the maiden won by Wider World, was found to have finished lame.

Maknificent was found to have burst blood vessels when pulling up in the handicap won by Best Kept Secret where she was among the market leaders.