THE former Group 2 winner Take Cover blitzed the home defence with a trailing blazing display in the Listed Mercury Stakes where the David Griffiths-trained eight-year-old led home a one-two three for the English raiders.

The Fran Berry-ridden Take Cover struggled in the Prix de l’Abbaye last time but had previously run very well to reach the frame in races won by Sole Power and Muthmir and he was restored to that level.

The 3/1 chance broke alertly to show in front from the outset and he was tracked by Speed Hawk who threw down a strong challenge as Take Cover angled out to the middle of the track off the last bend.

To his credit, the leader found plenty to draw on again inside the last furlong and he defeated Speed Hawk by a length and a half. The two-year-old Marsha ran a fine race in third with Gordon Lord Byron doing best of the home team in fourth.

“I don’t know what happened in France last time, he didn’t race with his usual zip but his two runs before that were very good,” said a delighted Griffiths.

“There aren’t any easy listed races but he was dropping down a couple of classes and I’m delighted he’s won for the owners, Norcroft Park Stud, who are big supporters of the yard.”

“The plan is to head to Dubai in the new year. He only tends to come to himself around Goodwood time so the plan is to go to Dubai where he’ll have the sun on his back and then maybe give Ascot a miss and ready him for the King George at Goodwood again.”

Jim Bolger produced a training performance of the very highest order as he brought Heavy Weight (10/1) back from almost three years off the track to claim 70-100 rated seven furlongs handicap.

When he was last seen in action, the Jackie Bolger-owned six-year-old showed quite an affinity for the polytrack, winning here twice, but he faced a daunting task off a 1057-day absence.

As the last furlong loomed the Rory Cleary-ridden colt looked to be running a fine race and seemed sure to finish in the frame. However, Heavy Weight then found extra reserves late on and finished out his race powerfully to collar the 7/2 joint favourite Back On Top on the line.

“It’s a great performance from the trainer,” declared Bolger’s representative Ger Flynn. “It’s great to get him back. The trip was probably a shade short for him, a mile would be better and he was only getting going at the finish.”

At the track where he sent out his first winner in 1971, Michael Cunningham notched up his first victory since January 2011 as the Pat Smullen-ridden Marise claimed the extended 10-furlong handicap. Marise (16/1), who made it 100 winners for the season for Smullen, was produced with her challenge heading into the last two furlongs and she finished out her race well to defeat Poitin by half a length.

“Johnny Roe, who was champion at the time, rode my first winner which was a horse called Vow owned by my wife and it was marvellous to have the champion on board again all these years later,” stated Cunningham, who trains the Azamour filly for Marion Goodbody.

“This filly won her maiden here for Tom McCourt earlier in the year. She wants firm ground but every time she’s run on grass it’s been too soft for her.”

An industrious season for Tommy Stack’s Tooreen Legend ended on a high as he recorded his third course triumph in the mile and a half handicap. The useful five-year-old had to defy a career high rating of 93 but that didn’t deter punters as he was sent off a well supported 2/1 favourite.

In truth Tooreen Legend’s backers hardly had an anxious moment and Billy Lee sent him to the front passing the two-furlong marker. The James and Breda O’Brien-owned gelding looked to have the race under control from this point onwards and he finished a length and three quarters ahead of Break My Mind.

On the weekend that he was crowned champion apprentice for the second time, Connor King made it 29 winners for the season on Laharde (5/1) in the six-furlong maiden.

Following a second to Zuberi at this track earlier in the month, the 73-rated Laharde was travelling best of all from early in the straight and he asserted with over a furlong to run to finish a length and three quarters clear of Falcao.

The Global Equine Syndicate-owned gelding was signing off on a winning note for David Marnane as he was due to come under the hammer at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale on Tuesday (sold for 27,000gns).

“He’s a big, good looking horse who has been consistent and I’d say he’s probably improving,” commented Marnane. “The syndicate who own him had three horses with me this year and all three have won and this horse and Octavia will be sold on Tuesday.”

Also set to take up a sales engagement in the near future is Yulong Baozuo (16/1) who came good at the eighth attempt in the 47-65 rated apprentice riders’ handicap over a mile.

The Lord Shanakill filly, who will come under the hammer at Goffs next Friday, had plenty to do early in the straight but Ross Coakley conjured a sustained charge from his mount. This carried Yulong Baozuo to the front late on as she edged out Skerray Rules by a neck.

“She’s improving away and she showed that she handles this surface well when she didn’t enjoy the best of luck here a couple of weeks ago. I’d say that will be it before the sales and that’s my first winner for the owner (Zhang Yueshang),” commented Murtagh.

Apprentice Killian Leonard rode out his 10lb claim aboard the game top-weight Kotonic in the five-furlong nursery.

The Michael O’Callaghan-trained daughter of Kodiac headed the market at 5/2 following the late withdrawal of Jenniechild and she made all the running for Leonard.

Sweetie Jar challenged strongly over the last furlong and possibly edged ahead at one point but Kotonic fought back tenaciously to succeed by half a length.