BRENDAN Bracken, from the Ger Lyons yard, reserves some of his best performances for Cork and put his best foot forward for Gary Carroll at Saturday’s meeting to repeat last year’s success in the listed Corkracecourse.ie Navigation Stakes.
The seven-year-old made virtually all the running for his joint owners David Spratt, who lives just 40 minutes from the course, and Sean Jones from Carrickmacross, and only had to be kept up to his work to record a three and a half-length win over the hat-trick seeking favourite Black Hawk War at odds of 9/2.
The trainer’s assistant, his brother Shane, said: “That has been the plan since he won this race last year. He loves Cork, the trip and the ground (officially soft) and that’s how to ride him in that ground - you go into sixth gear and stay there. Gary gave him a brilliant ride.
“He won’t have many races next year and the Cork track will take precedence over anything else, because he’s so good there.
“Every yard needs a superstar like him and he’s worth his salt as a lead horse for the other so-called ‘good’ horses in the yard.”
The Aidan O’Brien-trained top-weight Galilean, with the trainer’s son Donnacha in the saddle, was never out of the first two in the Annual Ticket 2017 Nursery Handicap, matching strides with his stable-companion Tang Dynasty until setting for home two furlongs out and gaining the upper-hand inside the distance for a two and a half-length success.
TOUGH
Galilean holds some big race engagements next year and his rider commented: “He’s tough and stayed well. Horses aren’t making up a lot of ground today, so I said I’d ride him with confidence from the front.”
Nenagh-based Jim Monaghan’s home-bred Lope de Vega colt Spanish Tenor, meanwhile, holds an entry in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and was saddled by his trainer Tim Doyle to take the Coolmore Most Improved Maiden, confined to two-year-olds, at the third time of asking, under Billy Lee.
Backed from 11/4 into 2/1 favourite he took it up a furlong and a half down and lengthened away to record a three and a quarter-length victory over Clongowes.
Doyle observed: “It was a good performance and he’s done nothing wrong. He’s had three smashing runs and is improving with every run. Billy was impressed with him and said he went strong to the line.”
The trainer, who was toying with the idea of entering him for the Killavullen Stakes, added: “He always looked a good horse and is from the family of Midnight Soprano and Celtic Soprano - that’s how he got his name! He’s in the Guineas after we got brave early on and stuck him in it.”
Johnny Murtagh followed up his double at Dundalk the previous evening when stable-companion Windsor Beach clicked for Niall McCullagh under front-running tactics in the Equine Acres 3-Y-O Handicap.
Paul Smith’s gelded son of Starspangledbanner was well-supported into 7/2 favouritism and had two and a half lengths to spare over the top-weight Tony The Gent at the finish.
His trainer reflected: “I thought coming here the handicapper had been too hard on him, but I was obviously wrong!
“I declared him on good to yielding ground and now it’s soft, but Niall said he went through it very well.
“He was a bit keen in the blinkers on his last start, but he settled better in them today and was able to get a breather which helped him get home. I thought he was a good horse at two, but then he got injured. There’s not a lot left for him but he’ll maybe go for the Trigo Stakes.”
Gentil J, representing the Harry Rogers and Wayne Lordan combination, wore down Special Focus in the final 100 yards of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap to win the day, at a price of 5/1, by half a length in the colours of her Maynooth owner/breeder Edward McKenna.
Rogers stated: “She’s tough, but I thought she might have got there a bit soon.
“I’d say that’ll be it for here, but she’s in at Navan on Wednesday. She loves the ground, so we’ll see how she is.”
DOUBLE
The trainer doubled up 35 minutes later with Zero Euro in division one of the Follow Us On Twitter 45-65 Apprentice Handicap. The 8/1 shot gave his 22-year-old rider Graham Scully from Drumconrath, who has a show jumping background and has been based with Rogers since the start of the season, his first winner on only his second ride, scoring by half a length from Fast On. Market leader Miss Ballygally was fourth.
The winner races in the royal blue, yellow and white colours of Susan Bury from Ardee and her trainer said of Scully, who put up 2lb overweight: “He’s a good little worker and rides her out at home. She goes well for him and he’ll get better with time and experience.”
George Webb’s game little filly Ask Katie (7/1) was a wide-margin winner of the second division of the contest under Dylan Hogan when getting the better of Prince Jack by seven and a half lengths. The trainer’s head lad Gerry Murray remarked: “She was unlucky in Limerick last week when getting beaten a short-head for second, so we said we’d put her away.
“Then, with the rain coming here, we said we’d give her one more chance over the mile and she’s done it well.”
Kilcock handler Stephen Nolan had the pleasure of watching his 25/1 shot Stormingin upsetting Ballydoyle’s London and the Dermot Weld-trained favourite Creme De La by a head and half a length in the concluding Christmas Party Package Maiden.
Ross Coakley’s mount lived up to his name when coming from off the pace to nail London close to home. Nolan, who was training his first winner for the successful owner Jim Browne, commented: “We always thought a lot of him and he had a good run in Navan first time out.
He’s in again at Gowran on Tuesday and is still only learning the game. He’ll be a nice horse next year.”
ACTING STEWARDS
R.E. Rohan, Ms K. Horgan, Mrs F. Ward, Ms J. Farrell, S. Quinn.
HORSE TO FOLLOW
COVIGLIA (D.K. Weld) – Made some late headway from the rear on his first outing to finish a moderate fourth behind more experienced rivals in the two-year-old maiden and should strip fitter next time.