FOR the second week in succession one of Michael Halford’s Dubai representatives made a winning return to domestic action as the classy sprinter Russian Soul claimed the six-furlong Weatherbys Printing Race.

A Group 3 winner in 2013 and 2014, the seven-year-old had run three times in Dubai this winter and he made an immediate impact on his return to Ireland. This race was the first time since July 2013 that Russian Soul had competed outside of stakes’ company in Ireland and he relished the drop in class.

The 13/8 favourite travelled supremely well for Shane Foley and was already in command entering the last quarter of a mile. Russian Soul cruised by the front-running Seanie with over a furlong to run and he finished a length and a half ahead of Balmont Mast who put in some good late work.

“He had the benefit of the sun on his back for the winter and he loves this surface,” said Halford of the Antoinette Kavanagh-owned winner. “He didn’t enjoy the dirt in Dubai as much as the Tapeta and he came here fresh from Dubai as we didn’t do too much with him there. That will have done his confidence good and ideally going round a bend suits him best.”

The Dancing Lord has been nothing short of metronomic over the last six months and he brought the curtain down on an excellent winter season by claiming the one-mile rated race. John Geoghegan’s charge was making it five wins from his last seven starts and, in his last 10 races, he has finished no worse than fourth. Regular jockey Robbie Downey had to switch the evens favourite off the rail to make his challenge with over a furlong to run and at the pair had work to do to cut down Beau Satchel. In recent months though The Dancing Lord has developed the happy knack of landing in front near the line and he did so again here to score by half a length.

“He’s been an unbelievable horse, that’s his sixth win since he came to me a year ago,” reported Geoghegan who trains the gelding for David Phelan. “He’ll have a break for a month or six weeks now and we will bring him back for fast ground on grass in the middle of the season.”

DOUBLE

Robbie Downey then notched up a double as Poitin, who gave trainer Keith Clarke his first winner last month, secured the extended 10-furlong rated race. This contest was run at a sedate pace which meant that all five runners still held chances turning for home. Poitin (5/4) was the strongest over the last furlong though and the Phoenix Bloodstock Syndicate-owned winner prevailed by half a length from Windward Passage.

“She’s improved from her win the last day. There was no pace and Robbie did the brave thing by sitting in but she quickened up well. We can look at bringing her to the likes of Bellewstown and Galway during the summer,” declared Clarke.

Family Pride (11/2), whose dam is a half-sister to Danehill, came good at the eighth attempt in the three-year-old handicap over a mile. The Jackie Bolger-owned colt was sent to the front by Kevin Manning early in the straight and soon opened up a commanding lead. Lily’s Rainbow, who threaded her way though the field to go second with over a furlong to run, closed relentlessly inside the distance but her charge came up a neck short.

“He’s a fine, big horse who was just a bit on the weak side last year although he was a bit unlucky here on his second last run here. He’s got a good cruising speed and held on well,” stated Jim Bolger’s representative Ger Flynn.

After filling the runner-up spot on her first three outings, Period Piece (10/11) took advantage of her easiest assignment to date in the Elusive Pimpernel Claiming Maiden which proved to be her final start for Jessica Harrington.

The Jules Cooper-owned daughter of Intikhab lined up with a claiming price of €20,000 and it emerged afterwards that she had been snapped up by Jamie Osborne. The Pat Smullen-ridden winner had this race in safe keeping when shrugging aside market rival Unchanged as the last furlong loomed and she finished with a length and a quarter ahead of the 33/1 chance Doppler Effect.

WINNING AGAIN

Fresh from registering the first success of his career a fortnight previously, the six-year-old Roter Baron (7/1) struck again in the 47-65 rated handicap over a mile. Trained by Eamonn O’Connell for his wife Abigail, the Declan McDonogh-ridden Roter Baron defeated Chatterton by half a length with the heavily backed County Wexford the same distance back in third.

“When the ground dries out a bit we’ll try him on grass in about four weeks’ time,” reflected O’Connell.

The Garrett Power-trained Annadiamond sprung a 25/1 surprise under Wayne Lordan in the 47-65 rated handicap over a mile and a half. The four-year-old was eighth in a similar event here seven days previously when making her first appearance since October. She was beaten just under two and a half lengths there and showed that she had progressed well from that outing.

The Diamond Green filly made her way to the front a furlong and a half from home and stuck to her task well to see off Colla Pier by half a length.

Lordan did pick up a one-day whip ban for his efforts while Power indicated that the Pat McCarthy-owned winner could mix it between the flat and hurdles over the coming months.

Acting Stewards

N.B. Wachman, R. Dore, Ms. D. Brophy, J. Gaisford-St. Lawrence, M.F. O’Donoghue

Horse To Follow

BEAU SATCHEL (A. McGuinness): He showed up well to finish a half length second to The Dancing Lord. He had four handicap wins last season and another industrious campaign could be in the offing for this five-year-old.

Noise

I WILL Excel, who finished at the rear of the field in the race won by Russian Soul, was reported to have made a respiratory noise in running.