COLIN Keane has been busy maintaining his push for championship honours this week and he took his tally to five winners in three days with another double which concluded with a superbly judged effort on Song Of Namibia in the McCabes Mitsubishi Motors Handicap.

Another typically astute purchase by owner David Spratt, this gelding was picked up for just 6,000gns last October and from six starts for Ger Lyons he has now won twice and been placed twice.

On his first try at a new trip Song Of Namibia was shouldered with top weight but supporters of the 100/30 favourite need not have worried.

A patient Keane bided his time before allowing his mount to creep closer inside the final half-mile. Song Of Namibia had work to do when he switched to the outer with over two furlongs to run and it was only late on that he began to get upsides Byron Beauty and the pacesetting Wood Breizh.

On terms, the six-year-old asserted to win by three-quarters of a length.

“I didn’t think he was getting home having been a bit keen early but he’s another nice purchase by David and Colin is riding great at the moment,” said Lyons. “Also fair play to Gary Carroll who rode him the last day and said that he would stay a mile and three-quarters.”

Earlier, Keane struck on Golden Spell who continued an excellent run for Johnny Murtagh’s juvenile team in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden. This Qatar Racing Limited-owned filly is one of 23 foals from the first crop of the top-class middle-distance runner Al Kazeem and has done well to start her career with two bright efforts over the minimum trip.

After last month’s placed debut at Cork, Golden Spell (9/2) was battling to close down the front-running Brick By Brick with over a furlong to run. To her credit, Golden Spell finished out strongly to reel in her aforementioned rival as the line loomed.

“She’s game and genuine. Six furlongs is more her trip but the further she went the better she was going,” remarked the rider.

CRUISED

The most taking performance of the evening came from Henry de Bromhead’s Twobeelucky (6/4) who made short work of the odds-on Royal Hawk in the Irish Mirror Novice Hurdle.

The strong-travelling four-year-old, who made a winning start over jumps in a Roscommon maiden last month, cruised to the front on the run to the second last. He shrugged aside a mistake there and Andrew Lynch never had to resort to the whip for the Roger Brookhouse-owned and bred gelding to finish seven and a half lengths clear of the market leader.

“I was happy with him the last day and I’d say he’s improved since then. He jumped well and he’s a quick horse too,” reported Lynch.

The capable Red Sabor bounced back from an unplaced outing on Derby Weekend to secure the Indaver Ireland Handicap which brought up a double for Declan McDonogh.

This reasonable sprint handicap served up a cracking finale and victory could have gone any one of four ways in the last furlong. At this stage the Andy Slattery-trained Red Sabor (10/1) was fighting hard to edge out Oneoveryou and Patuano and he bested that duo over the last 150 yards before a three-quarters of a length success over Aggression.

“He’s hardy and it probably helped him having the blinkers back on tonight,” reflected McDonogh who was sporting the colours of Brendan O’Sullivan.

MCDONOGH DOUBLE

Earlier, McDonogh struck on Suburban Sky (12/1) in the 45-65 rated Guinness Inter Vintners Pub Challenge Handicap which was the in foal mare’s first victory for almost three years. The Harry Rogers-trained six-year-old, who is carrying to Morpheus, hadn’t run since October and had dropped 7lb in the intervening period. In the closing stages of this five-furlong dash the daughter of Dandy Man overhauled Pillar to score by a neck.

“She was just touched off here last August when we thought she’d won so it’s nice for her owner (Brian Mellon). Being in foal has probably helped her,” observed Rogers.

He looked as though he could be one to follow when scoring on is debut for Gordon Elliott last month and William B duly followed up in the Seamus Mulvaney Crockafotha Handicap Hurdle.

Even though he was moving up in grade and was 9lb higher in the weights the Philip Reynolds-owned gelding was a strongly supported 5/4 favourite.

Davy Russell exuded the utmost confidence in his mount who travelled and jumped well before making his challenge with two to jump. William B was given a stern test by Just Janice (whose jockey Ambrose McCurtin picked up a two-day whip ban) but he pulled out plenty to see off that mare by half a length.

“He jumped great, better than he has done before, and that was a big help to him. Fair play to Gordon, he has done a great job with him,” said Russell.

Stephen Mahon was pointing the way towards a Galway Festival bid for Stormey (7/1) after the seven-year-old shouldered top weight to victory in the Kingbet Handicap Hurdle. Almost two months on from his Clonmel success, the Robbie Dunne-ridden seven-year-old surged clear of his rivals in the closing stages to cross the line five lengths ahead of Konig Hall.

“He’s a good little horse and with Tom Quinn (owner) being from Galway I’d say that’s where he will head now,” declared Mahon. “I told Robbie it would be worth his while coming over and he’s going to ride for me at the weekend as well.”

Baby Jake (13/2) improved on his second in the race in 2015 to claim the Lougher Stables Handicap for Shark Hanlon and Gary Carroll. A four-time winner over jumps, the Nanette Wheatley-owned eight-year-old took control of this mile and three-quarter race some way from home to finish four lengths clear of the favourite, King’s Wharf.

“He was unlucky in this race in 2015 when he was badly hampered by a faller at halfway,” reported Hanlon. “Hopefully he’ll now head to Cartmel, where he won last year, and then maybe on to Galway for a flat handicap. The loose horse (Pretty Little Liar, who lost her jockey in the first furlong) was a help to him and kept him concentrating.”

ACTING STEWARDS

L. McFerran, R. Dore, F. Cahill, J. Martin-Smith, P.D. Matthews

Horse to Follow

MAUDLIN MAGDALEN (D. Kinsella): This filly produced her best effort since going jumping when finishing third in the handicap hurdle won by Stormey and she will get her turn.