TRUFFLES, who gained her only previous win in a maiden on heavy ground here 13 months ago, again appreciated testing conditions to land the featured Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap at this rescheduled fixture.
This eight-race flat card was postponed by 72 hours after stormy weather caused a cancellation on Saturday and it turned out to be a memorable day for Gavin Ryan, a 17-year-old apprentice with Jim Bolger. The Killenaule teenager recorded his fourth and biggest win to date when showing good judgement from the front on the Sheila Lavery-trained daughter of Canford Cliffs for her brother John.
The 6/1 shot made all in this €25,000 event and kept on well inside the final furlong to beat Enjoy Life by one and a quarter lengths.
The J. P. McManus-owned Aa Bee See was another previous course winner to score on the afternoon when taking division one of the Christmas Parties At Fairyhouse December 16th Handicap.
Trained by Niall Madden and ridden by his son Tom, the well-backed 4/1 chance added to a handicap hurdle success here in the spring by leading over a furlong out to beat A Place Apart by one and three-quarter lengths.
“He goes well on the ground and will continue to mix it with hurdles,” said the Naas trainer.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Colin Keane and Pat Smullen had a full book of rides including a number of fancied mounts but both were out of luck until the concluding division two of the mile, four-furlong handicap where Keane stretched his lead to five (91-86) in the flat jockeys’ title race aboard Les Arceaux.
The Johnny Murtagh-owned and trained gelding was ridden to assert over a furlong out, and soon drew clear to readily justify odds of 7/2 (joint-favourite). “Stepping up in trip probably brought about a bit of improvement in him, and he handles that ground well,” said Keane.
Castrogiovanni, trained for John Harney and Paul Brophy by Joseph O’Brien and ridden by his brother Donnacha, stepped forward significantly on his seventh outing to take the Gillian Carey ‘AIRO/Irish Field Service To Racing Award Winner’ Median Auction Maiden in impressive fashion.
The well-backed 11/2 chance (11/1 in the morning) asserted over a furlong out and stayed on strongly to beat Bronze Age by five and a half lengths. “He handles the ground and drawn one was a big help. I got a nice toe into the race and he picked up well,” said Donnacha O’Brien.
Thiswaycadeaux, trained by Willie McCreery and running in the colours of his wife Amanda, coped well with a significant drop in trip on her third start in the Big Picture Communications Maiden. The 6/1 shot came through between horses to lead well inside the final furlong for a half-length victory over Massa Lubrense.
Winning rider Billy Lee said: “She jumped a bit slow and it took me a little time to get into the race. The six would be on the short side for her, and I was a bit worried about the ground but she handled it well.
GALLOPING
“The race sort of fell apart a bit a furlong out. She kept galloping and was only getting stronger as she went to the line. hopefully she will step into handicaps and be alright for next year.”
Kevin Manning and Jim Bolger teamed up to take the Shelbourne F.C. Race Day Nursery Handicap with Rince Deireanach (13/2-5/1) for owner Jackie Bolger. The Teofilo filly wandered a bit before getting well on top in the closing stages to beat Ellona by five lengths.
Bolger’s assistant Ger Flynn said: “Kevin said she travelled real well. She’d ran on soft ground before at Roscommon so we knew that she handled it.
“She ducked about a furlong and a half down. It’s not the first time that he’s ridden a horse around here that ducked but he showed great balance after she did a little jink. She went right away in the end and he said in that ground you have to keep them up to it. It’s very testing.”
Ask Katie is another who seems to reserve her best form for heavy ground and the five-year-old mare benefitted from a patient ride by Conor Hoban to beat Harry Speed by a length in the Racing Again November 7th Handicap.
The 7/1 chance is trained for the Lios Dearg Rangers Partnership by George Webb, whose assistant Gerry Murray said: “She ran a cracker at Gowran the last day where she got hampered. She really needs a mile but likes that ground and stayed on well.”
Decision Time, trained by John Kiely for Liam Gleeson, was all the rage for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden and early offers of 4/1 were made to look generous as she scored at half those odds.
Emmet McNamara oozed confidence on the six-year-old daughter of Milan, who was just pushed out inside the final furlong to beat Alaykha by a length and a quarter.
McNamara said, “She did it easily and hopefully she can continue to go forward. John picked out a good race for her as it was an ordinary enough maiden.”
Acting Stewards
J. M. McGrath, M. Hillman, N. Colfer, L. McFerran, P. W. Murtagh.
Horse To Follow
A PLACE APART (G. Cromwell): He stayed on well to take the runner-up spot in division one of the mile and four furlong handicap. The dual purpose gelding should pay his way.