RAMONE sprung a shock of monumental proportions and wrote herself into racing folklore as she kicked off the new flat season with a 100/1 success in the Group 3 Lodge Park Stud EBF Park Express Stakes.

In recent decades there have been no shortage of surprise winners of stakes races in Ireland but, in giving Bill Farrell his pattern race success, Ramone bridged a gap of almost half a century. Indeed it was all the way back in 1973 that Irish racing witnessed its last 100/1 group race winner when Miss Therese won the Blandford Stakes for Pat Lally.

The Timothy Rooney-owned Ramone won a Leopardstown maiden on her second start in August 2013 but had failed to score in 10 subsequent outings and was rated 73 at one point last season. However, she did run quite well in a listed race at Naas in October and a switch to heavy ground was the springboard for a revelatory effort under Shane Foley.

A field of 12 went to post for the Park Express but few got involved and Ramone led the main group while Amulet ploughed a lone furrow in the centre of the track. In a dour finish Amulet, Ramone and Afternoon Sunlight did battle over the last furlong and the Farrell representative was the strongest. She pulled away to defeat Afternoon Sunlight by two lengths with Amulet a further half length back while Alive Alive Oh secured fourth.

“It’s the first time she’s got her ground,” declared Farrell. “We’ve always had faith in her and we prepped her for this rather than taking our chance in the Lincoln off a mark of 92. She’s a big strong mare who is really suited by this ground and we’ve no plans with her, the ground will dictate things.”

For the third time in 11 years Tommy Stack and Wayne Lordan struck gold in the Tote Irish Lincoln as Onenightidreamed (8/1) belied inexperience and a 10-month absence to claim the €100,0000 contest. Overcoming a low draw, Onenightidreamed was able to take up a prominent position.

Conditions meant that only a few were able to run their race and with over a quarter of a mile to run there were less than half a dozen horses in contention. At this stage Onenightidreamed delivered his challenge in the middle of the track but Lordan then brought him over towards the stands side to join the always prominent Aussie Valentine who had raced alone for much of the race. The New Pension Fund Syndicate-owned winner then stuck to his task doggedly over the last furlong to succeed by a length. Third Dimension took third with Queen Of Alba a further place back.

“We were waiting for soft ground all last summer with him and then in October we just felt it might be better to aim for this rather than winning a pot late on which would have meant that he’d go up in the weights,” said the trainer’s son Fozzy. “It was a good effort to do that off a long break on only his fourth run but he did have a good run against the older horses here on Guineas weekend last year.”

STATURE

The 2015 campaign began with State Of Emergency further highlighting trainer Michael O’Callaghan’s growing stature with victory in the two-year-old maiden. Eleven runners turned out for the Tally-Ho Stud EBF Maiden and the Emmet McNamara-ridden winner found himself with work to do on the inner entering the last quarter of a mile. He soon switched with a forward surge – a move which hampered both Hasselnott (third) and Greyscape (sixth) – and he came home strongly to collar Bebhinn in the last 50 yards. The latter went down by half a length and ran a race of considerable promise having been drawn widest of all. The Jim Bolger-trained favourite Tribal Beat had to settle for fourth but was noted putting in some decent late work.

“He did it well and got a super ride from Emmet,” reflected O’Callaghan. “I do think he’s a nice horse but I felt he had just about enough done to run so he will improve and he does want better ground too. Maybe we’ll look towards the Marble Hill now.”

Although they had to settle for the runner-up spot in the Park Express, Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen did end the day with a double which began when a gutsy Stormfly (12/1) claimed the 203rd Madrid Handicap. Stormfly was under pressure in behind the leading quintet as the last furlong loomed but she finished out her race in fine style to pip Mandamus by a head.

“She’s a lovely, tough, genuine filly and is a pleasure to train,” commented Weld of the Deus Bros Syndicate-owned daughter of Dark Angel. “She’s now a winner at two and three and she’ll go on for the Group 3 1000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown on April 12th. We’ve everything to gain and nothing to lose by going there.”

Weld and Smullen then struck with Ashraf (3/1) in the one-mile Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden where the son of Cape Cross showed good progress from a promising introduction here last autumn. The Aga Khan-owned colt was travelling notably well in a forward position from some way out and he had this race under control when striding to the front well over a furlong from home. At the line, Ashraf had almost five lengths to spare over the newcomer Boherbuoy.

“He’ll go for the Ballysax Stakes next. He was fit, forward, knew his job and he handles this ground well. I’d expect that he’ll be very comfortable stepping up to 10 furlongs,” commented Weld.

STANARD BEARER

Bubbly Bellini, who has been a tremendous standard bearer for Adrian McGuinness in recent seasons, made it 13 career wins from 88 starts in the Joanna Morgan Lifetime Achievement Handicap. The 6/1 chance lined up with the benefit of three relatively recent runs at Dundalk and that showed as he was much the strongest in the closing stages. He got to the front nearing the last furlong and then stayed on stoutly for Declan McDonogh to finish two and a quarter lengths ahead of Master Speaker. Great Minds was sent off the 11/10 favourite to win this race for the second year in succession but he had to settle for fourth.

“The plan was to have him ready for soft ground early in the season and he was fit from a few runs at Dundalk,” commented McGuinness, whose winner is owned by Gary Devlin. “He’ll keep going in these handicaps and he likes this ground.”

Aidan O’Brien and Ryan Moore didn’t have to wait long to get off the mark for the season as their first runner of the day, The Warrior, picked up the six-furlong Big Bad Bob Maiden. The Exceed And Excel colt was beaten just over three lengths in last year’s Middle Park Stakes which meant that he lined up with a rating of 106 and that gave him a major theoretical edge over his rivals. Moore produced the 11/4 chance to challenge early in the last furlong and The Warrior soon asserted to defeat the newcomer Mulkeyya by two and a half lengths.

“He won nicely. He had some good runs last season and his rating suggested that he could go and do that,” declared O’Brien.

Acting Stewards

E. Flannery, M.J. Doyle, C.P. Magnier, Mrs. C. Corballis, P.D. Matthews

Horse To Follow

MULKEYY (D.K. Weld): This half-sister to Mustajeeb made a bright start to her career when chasing home The Warrior and she shouldn’t have any trouble getting off the mark in the coming weeks.