THE Highway Rat looks a sprinter with a big future after the €5,000 supplementary entry landed the Group 3 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Pat Smullen Mercury Stakes in fine style under Ronan Whelan.
Trained by Andy Oliver for his wife Saffron, the son of Dandy Man showed good speed and got well on top inside the final furlong to justify 18/5 favouritism.
The Charlie Hills-trained May Sonic didn’t enjoy the clearest of passages early in the straight but kept on well to finish a length and a quarter away in second with Strong Johnson a further two and a quarter lengths back in third.
“I said to Ronan ‘just keep it simple, you know the horse now’ and he had no trouble in running – everything went smoothly,” said Oliver after his charge recorded a fourth win here this year. He’s only a three-year-old and sprinters tend to improve.
“He hit the line hard so I know he’ll get further,” added the Co Tyrone trainer before confessing: “I actually missed the entry for this race as we were very busy that week and we had to supplement which was a hiccup on my behalf.”
Doubles were the order of the evening elsewhere on the card notably talented young apprentice Jake Coen who successful partnered Sunset Nova and Rhythm Of Zain to make it four winners in the space of just five days.
The 16-year-old teamed up with uncle Andy Slattery to gain an unlikely victory aboard Sunset Nova in division one of the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap.
King’s View made a valiant attempt to make all under Chris Hayes and indeed many thought he’d just held on but the photograph showed the Men Of Forty Eight Syndicate-owned Sunset Nova had just got up by a nose at odds of 100/30.
RHYTHM Of Zain completed the rare feat of winning three nurseries after Coen was again seen to great effect getting the top-weight up in the closing strides to deny Pepper Streak by a neck in the Crowne Plaza Hotel Dundalk Nursery.
“His first few runs in maidens weren’t too inspiring so we left him off for the summer and he’s just kept improving,” said trainer Kieran Cotter of the 5/2 favourite.
“I thought we were in trouble a furlong out as he lacked the pace to lie up with them but he showed a great attitude to get up. We keep the blinkers on him as early on he just wouldn’t concentrate on the job but he’s doing it now.
“The lads (Kilmichael Racing & Owenbeg Syndicates) are knocking great fun out of him for a cheap horse. We’ll see how he is and he could go for the Birdcatcher. He’s a tough hardy horse and, from what we saw today, six will be no trouble to him.”
James McAuley has been a great advocate of claiming races and the north Co Dublin trainer initiated a double on the evening with a one-two in the Hollywoodbets Fillies Claiming Race.
Hightown Heights (12/1) was only claimed the previous Friday for €12,000 and gave an immediate return on that investment when edging out stablemate and 4/5 favourite Sister Lola by a neck under Sam Ewing.
“I thought she might be well-enough handicapped off 60 when we got her last week until I opened the calendar on Monday morning and saw that the handicapper gave her 10lb. I suppose he was proved right,” said the Naul handler.
Claimers
“As soon as the entries come out for the claimers we go through them and try to pick what might be a bit of value. You are buying a horse that is fit and well and you can run them straight away. It doesn’t always work out but you know your fate fairly quick!”
McAuley made a friendly claim of €20,000 to hold onto Sister Lola and he also snapped up third-placed Malaysian for €9,000. Even Flow, for €10,000 to Marshall Watson and Sentiment, €5,000 to Mick Mulvany, were also claimed.
Brace
Beleaguerment completed a 142/1 brace for owner/trainer McAuley in division two of the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap.
The Shane Foley-ridden 10/1 chance just got the better of a final furlong duel with Eglish by a head.
“He ran here last week but got no cover on the outside and was very keen. We put the red hood on him today and dropped him down in trip.
“He was tough in the finish and his ignorance probably helped him there. We claimed him from the same race that we also got Sister Lola,” said McAuley.
Wins for O’Brien with Baronial Pride and Impulsar
JOSEPH O’Brien is certainly no stranger to sending out doubles and the course leading trainer struck with Baronial Pride and Impulsar. Baronial Pride recorded his first win since a debut juvenile success for Richard Fahey over three years ago when taking the Story Of Dundalk Stadium Book Available Online Apprentice Handicap by a diminishing half length from Chavajod for the Thoroughbred Racing Syndicate.
The easy-to-back 11/1 chance has been quite lightly raced since joining O’Brien earlier this year, losing his race in the stalls on a number of occasions. Rider Dylan Browne McMonagle explained: “We put a hood on him in the stalls for the first time tonight as he’s been breaking slow. I whipped it off at the last minute. I got into a lovely position and he put the race to bed a long way out. He had cheekpieces on for the first time which also paid dividends.”
Australian owner/breeder John Camilleri, best known as the breeder of Winx, had his colours carried to success by Impulsar in the Follow Us On Instagram @Dundalk Stadium Maiden.
Shane Crosse elected to make the running on the Frankel gelding – 6/1 in the morning and well-supported into 5/2 – who showed plenty of greenness wandering around in the straight before staying on well to beat Glinting by two and a half lengths.
Crosse said: “He’s a monster of a horse. He got a bit dazzled first time out in a big field at the Curragh. Today he broke smart and I was keen to let him bowl. He will improve again from that.”
Laidback Dawn
Michael O’Callaghan continued a good season with his juveniles by taking the other maiden on the card, the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden over a mile, with his own Purple Dawn.
Leigh Roche bided his time on the 4/1 shot before quickening up nicely to beat Alaroos by a length and a half.
“He’s a big baby and is so laid-back. It’s taken his previous runs for the penny to drop. His dam is a sister to Dawn Approach and he has the size and scope to progress next year,” said Roche.