GER Lyons is already looking forward to tackling the 2019 season with his current crop of juveniles and one of those, Excelcius, signed off for the year with a tremendously brave effort that saw him edge a cracking conclusion to the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.
The David Spratt and Sean Jones-owned son of Exceed And Excel was all at sea on heavy ground at Galway last month but was much more at home on the polytrack and over the course of these seven furlongs.
Colin Keane made the running on the 84-rated colt but the pair were being harried from early in the straight and, over the last furlong, Vivacious Spirit and the odds-on Empire State challenged strongly. Inside the last 150 yards the leading trio were inseparable and they hit the line almost as one before the Lyons runner got the verdict by a nose.
“The good news is that he qualifies for a £25,000 Book One bonus which is brilliant and that was the whole idea of running today,” said Lyons. “He hated the ground in Galway but he’s been consistent all summer. We’ll geld him now and give him a good break.
“We think we have a bunch of horses that are going to be proper three-year-olds next year. It’s been a real work in progress this year and we’re delighted to have got as many winners as we did.”
Colin Keane later recorded a double on the John Murphy-trained and owned newcomer Point Taken in the extended 10-furlong maiden. This strapping four-year-old son of Papal Bull turned in a fine effort to account for the experienced 72-rated Dawn Trouper.
After being backed from 14/1 into 12/1 on track, Point Taken came from the rear with a sustained effort in the straight that enabled him to see off Dawn Trouper by a short-head.
“He’s a lovely, big horse and was quite raw so I’d imagine he will improve plenty from this,” reported Keane. “He’d to do it the hard way coming from off the pace and I’d say he could be a very nice dual-purpose horse.”
DOUBLE
John Murphy also ended the card with a double as he had earlier teamed up with Daniel Redmond to take the apprentice rider’s handicap with Aubineau (7/1) who get her turn after reaching the frame at Cork and Gowran Park earlier in the month.
The Thomas Keithley-owned four-year-old, who sports the same colours as the Cesarewitch hero Brazos, got to the front early in the straight and found plenty to repel the effort of Gunmaker by three-quarters of a length.
A very willing display was in the offing in the mile handicap where Spiorad Saoirse (9/2) edged out Atlas. The Andy Slattery inmate hadn’t been at his best since running a fine fourth in the Irish Cambridgeshire a couple of months ago but he was back to his peak here.
Ben Coen, whose claim was reduced to 5lbs as a result of this success, produced him to lead with around a quarter of a mile to run and the Iffraaj gelding plumbed the depths of his reserves to see off Atlas by a short-head.
The winner carries the colours of the Men Of Forty Eight Syndicate who have enjoyed many great days courtesy of the Slattery stalwarts An Saighdiur and Sors.
BRILLIANT
“He ran a bit flat at Naas last time but he has since schooled over hurdles and he’s been back in great form since doing that,” remarked Slattery. “He’s a brilliant jumper and he will go hurdling at some stage but we’ve decide whether to do that now or instead aim him for the Lincoln in March.”
Chris Hayes made it a career best tally of 57 winners in a season as the gambled-on Russian Campaign bagged the mile handicap. The Lady O’Reilly-owned and Kevin Prendergast-trained three-year-old only got her season underway in September and she struggled badly on testing ground at Gowran Park last time but evidently a much better showing was anticipated here as she was backed from 16/1 into 6/1. Russian Campaign got home by three-quarters of a length from Natty Dresser.
“That’s a career best for me season-wise and it’s nice to do it with the boss and Lady O’Reilly. Leigh Roche rode her the last day and said it would be worth trying her on better ground and thankfully he was right,” declared Hayes.
The lightly raced Peshkova made short work of her rivals in the five-furlong maiden to strike for Willie McCreery and Declan McDonogh. The Ballygallon Stud-owned daughter of Shamardal was making just the fourth appearance of her career and was looking to build on her second to Dapper Power at Navan last week, which came off a break of four months.
Peshkova (7/4) had this race sewn up when striding to the front with well over a furlong to run and she recorded a comfortable two-and-three-quarter-length success over the staying-on Sabrina Fairchild.
“She’s a nice filly but she’s just had little hold-ups all year. She ran a lovely race in Navan the other day when she finished off well with a view to coming here,” commented McCreery, whose charge was under consideration for a quick return to action on Friday evening. “Five furlongs wouldn’t be her ideal trip, I’d say six or seven would suit better and it’s great to win a maiden with a well-bred filly like her.”
The card concluded with an utterly dominant display from Rips Dream (9/2) in the 45-65 rated mile and a half handicap. Pat Flynn’s charge produced much his best effort to date when chasing home Park Row over this course and distance a month previously and he did better again on his sixth career outing.
Conor Hoban dashed the Foley Partnership-owned three-year-old to the front with over a furlong to run and by the time Rips Dream hit the line his ever increasing margin of superiority had stretched out to five lengths.
Whip bans
AMY O’Hanlon picked up a two-day whip ban for her efforts on Al Batal in the maiden won by Peshkova.
Gary Carroll and Kevin Manning were both given two-day careless riding bans after the stewards looked into incidents at the start and finish of the handicap won by Russian Campaign.
ACTING STEWARDS
F. Cahill, J. Tyrrell,
P. Law, P. Dunican,
M.F. O’Donoghue
HORSE TO FOLLOW
NATTY DRESSER (Ms S. Lavery): This gelding produced one of his best recent efforts to chase home Russian Campaign in the mile handicap and he looks capable of making his mark soon.