A MOMENTOUS flat season for Denis Hogan has improved with almost every week that passes and a double at the third last fixture of the 2019 campaign left him needing just one more winner to reach a landmark 30 winners for the season.

Hogan’s previous best flat season came in 2018 when he sent out 13 winners and by the time this meeting concluded on Wednesday there were only six trainers in the country who have sent out more winners on the flat than Hogan this season.

The trainer shared his double with the promising apprentice Joey Sheridan and they struck first with the claiming race king Yuften whose success in the one-mile claimer was his first since joining Hogan for owner James McAuley.

A three-time runner-up since joining his current connections for €15,000 after winning for Adrian McGuinness at Bellewstown during the summer, the 15/8 favourite wasn’t going as well as some of his rivals turning in but he got on top in the closing stages with a typically willing effort.

He saw off Merricourt by half a length to notch up the ninth success of a career whose early efforts featured a very respectable fifth to Kingman in the 2015 St James’s Palace Stakes. Afterwards, Yuften changed stables for the fourth time this year as he was claimed by Noel Kelly for €20,000. Merricourt will join Iain Jardine for the same amount.

Polytrack

Hogan and Sheridan then struck with Lady In Lavender in the 45-70 rated mile handicap. This Conor O’Brien-owned and bred 10/1 chance had recorded both her previous wins on soft ground but she looked quite at home as she tried Polytrack for the first time. She came with a steady effort over the last couple of furlongs to deny the previous Friday’s winner Latchet by a nose.

Another double for Donnacha as Vatican City catches the eye and Yale improves to win

DONNACHA O’Brien inched ever closer to a second consecutive jockeys’ championship as he brought up a double which concluded with a display of real quality from Vatican City in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over seven furlongs.

The two-year-old brother to Gleneagles caught the eye when fifth to Kinross on his debut in a Newmarket maiden last month and he has clearly sharpened up a good deal since.

After travelling strongly on the pace, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Vatican City did everything in the manner of a high quality colt and he only needed to be pushed out in the closing stages to prevail by two and a half lengths. The 1/2 favourite can be rated as three-year-old of some potential for 2020 for the Coolmore partners.

The winning rider commented: “He travelled smooth there and he’s still raw but he gave me a nice feel. He should progress and I think he’s smart.”

Donnacha O’Brien’s first success of the evening came aboard his father’s Yale in the five-furlong maiden for Sue Magnier. This son of Scat Daddy was a beaten favourite on his first two outings and with a furlong to run it looked as though the 2/7 favourite might come up short once more. To his credit though, he gathered himself for one final effort which saw him nail the 68-rated My Excelsa on the line.

O’Brien’s title rival Colin Keane was also on the mark courtesy of Kafu who justified 5/2 favouritism in the mile handicap and he might be a horse to keep in mind for 2020.

This David Spratt, Sean Jones and Lynne Lyons-owned gelding had crept up 6lbs in the weights for runner-up finishes behind Franklyn and Dancing On A Dream on his last two starts and deservedly got his turn here. He forged to the front with over a furlong to run and readily outpointed Calling Time to prevail by a length and a half.

Tracing made it a treble on the night for Aidan O’Brien as the Galileo filly claimed a precious winning bracket in the 45-65 rated mile and a half handicap for the Coolmore partners. A first try beyond nine furlongs worked the oracle for the Seamie Heffernan-ridden 12/1 chance and she got to the line with a head to spare over Cache Queen who had lost out by a nose in a similar event here five days previously.

Gamble landed by La Derniere Fois

THE Tracey Collins-trained La Derniere Fois came back to the form that saw her show up well in a Curragh maiden during the summer as she pulled off something of a gamble in the first division of the 45-65 rated seven-furlong handicap.

Ronan Whelan’s mount, who was backed from 16/1 in the morning into 6/1, got the better of Tribal Path to prevail by a length and a quarter. The Thomas Rogers-owned filly was making the sixth appearance of her career.

The second division of the seven-furlong handicap went to Fashaar (12/1) who was recording his first triumph since March 2018. Anthony McCann’s charge may have taken a little time to load but his application during the race for jockey Luke McAteer was beyond reproach.

The Rita Shah-owned six-year-old came through to lead in the last furlong and he kept on well to hold Masalai by half a length.

Suspensions

SEAMIE Heffernan was hit with a seven-day whip ban for his efforts on the fifth-placed Everyhouronthehour in the first division of the seven-furlong handicap.

Joey Sheridan was given a four-day careless riding ban when his mount Malbas moved significantly left upon leaving the stalls in the handicap won by Kafu.