TOGOVILLE, who has been such a fine standard bearer for his Greek-born trainer Georgios Pakidis over the last 10 months, produced possibly his finest effort to date in the featured Irishinjuredjockeys.com Handicap.
Last December Togoville started to make sustained progress on the polytrack and he showed that he has maintained that improvement in making his first try over five furlongs a successful one. The 91-rated five-year-old, who has winning form up to a mile, had no difficulty holding his own against these seasoned sprinters. He made most of the running under apprentice Sean Corby and from over a furlong out had the measure of Kasbah. At the line the grey, who has won five of his last eight starts at this track, had a length and a half to spare over Kasbah with the favourite Ardhoomey third.
“He’s got great natural speed and he’s a remarkable horse who loves it here,” declared Pakidis, who trains the winner for Patrick McCann and Paul Kelly. “He doesn’t like soft ground which is why we kept him back for Dundalk and anything from five furlongs to a mile is fine for him. Maybe we could look at a couple of listed races for him here during the autumn.”
The most interesting race of the day was the two-year-old maiden over seven furlongs where Aidan O’Brien’s General Macarthur accounted for several well-fancied opponents, leaving the form of his debut run well behind.
The son of War Front and Imagine looked altogether sharper for his second outing as he turned in a nice effort to carry the day by half a length. Joseph O’Brien sent him to the front two furlongs from home and the 11/4 chance knuckled down well when required to account for the newcomer A Likely Story.
“He was fierce green on his debut for some reason but he was much better today. I was probably in front a bit soon on him. He’s a nice colt and will hopefully improve,” reported the winning rider.
The Ken Condon stalwart Strait Of Zanzibar (16/1) came back to form in the seven-furlong rated race to make it seven wins from 65 career starts. The Ray Doyle-owned six-year-old certainly wasn’t winning out of turn having been placed on nine occasions this year and produced a very willing effort for Billy Lee.
When the trail-blazing Maontri gave way nearing the last furlong Strait Of Zanzibar took over in front and he saw off the well backed favourite Great Wide Open. In a tight contest the first eight home were covered by just two lengths.
“I was pleased to see him get a low draw and the race set up nicely for him. He comes off the bridle plenty early but he digs deep and fights,” reflected Condon, whose charge was due to turn out at Laytown on Thursday.
RELIABLE
The reliable veteran Eye Of The Tiger (7/1) was rewarded for his consistency as he shouldered top weight to victory in the two-mile handicap. The 10-year-old, who had been placed on six of his nine starts since joining Johnny Murtagh, was produced by Ross Coakley to hold every chance as the last furlong loomed. The former German Group 2 winner finished out his race well to defeat Magnetic Force by a head.
“I’m delighted for him. He’s been running consistently and stays very well,” said Murtagh who trains the gelding for English owner Ben Lewis. “He’s a lovely horse to have around the place and hopefully we might get another win out of him. Ross (Coakley) puts a lot of hard work in and is getting his reward now.”
SHOCK WIN
A 50/1 shock was lying in wait in the apprentice riders’ maiden over a mile where John Murphy’s Cape Discovery left the form of his first two runs well behind. A second career winner for Kerry-born jockey Keith Moriarty, Cape Discovery swept by the market leaders Duchessofflorence and Black Wolf Run to take charge early in the last furlong. He finished with three-quarters of a length to spare over Zuberi, who looked somewhat unlucky having been hemmed in for a period inside the last couple of furlongs. Cape Discovery carries the colours of John Nordlokken.
“We were disappointed with his first couple of runs but he’s a big, backward horse who is only coming to himself now,” stated the trainer’s son George.
The capable Sassaway notched up the sixth triumph of her career as she returned from almost four months off in the five-furlong handicap for Declan McDonogh and Eamonn O’Connell. The 14/1 shot went for home with over a furlong to run and first dealt with the challenge of the favourite Acroleina before then holding off Anonymous Lady.
“She came home with a little injury after her last run at Navan so we had to give her time to come right,” reported O’Connell who trains the winner for the Liiimerick Syndicate. “She’s probably go back to the Curragh shortly and she’s had an easy season so she might run here over the winter.”
Connor King rode his first winner without a claim as Kodiac’s Back (9/4) shrugged off top weight in the first division of the 47-65 rated handicap over a mile. The four-year-old was getting lonely in front having been left in lead from before the turn in but he lasted home by a head from the oncoming Pretty Famous.
“It was a long way up the straight!” quipped David Marnane who trains the winner for McGettigans Management Services JLT. “He travelled well in the first time blinkers and I imagine that he could come back here again during the winter.”
Coach Bombay gave trainer Adrian Joyce his third winner from his last eight runners in the second division of the 47-65 rated handicap. Owned and bred by Sean Dalton, the seven-year-old has recorded all four of wins at this track and was actually a pound lower than when successful over a mile and a half in May. Fran Berry moved Coach Bombay to the front early in the straight en route to a half length defeat of Artistic Integrity.
Acting Stewards
L. McFerran, P. Caffrey, E. McElroy, D. McCorkell, M.F. O’Donoghue
HORSE TO FOLLOW
BLUE DE VEGA (M. O’Callaghan): He went off favourite for the two-year-old maiden and ran a fine race in third. He jumped off slowly and then didn’t enjoy the smoothest of runs in the straight but he came home well to be beaten just over a length. He looks very promising.
Ban
CHRISTINA Simpson was given a two-day whip ban for her efforts on Suffice To Say in the apprentice riders’ maiden. Fastidious was reported to have burst a blood vessel following his below-par effort in the seven-furlong rated race.