A DOUBLE, which came courtesy of Ger Lyons, enabled Colin Keane to open up an invaluable three-win lead over Pat Smullen in the jockeys’ title ahead of last night’s Dundalk fixture.
The reliable World War completed the double with an ultra game effort from the front in the extended nine-furlong maiden. The Qatar Racing Limited-owned gelding came into this race off a series of honourable runner-up finishes and he duly came good at the most opportune of moments for his rider.
The 8/11 favourite had most of his rivals in difficulty from the turn-in and over the last couple of furlongs he kept on willingly to maintain a useful advantage. Warnaq, who got squeezed up with over a furlong to run, put in some good late work to secure second but she was still a length and a half adrift at the line.
“That was a brave performance on very testing ground, he’s a very genuine horse,” commented Shane Lyons. “He is going to the horses in training sale in Newmarket but if there was another suitable race for him before then he could well run in it. He would be very suitable for the other job (jumping).”
Lyons and Keane struck first with Inscribe who shrugged aside top weight in the three-year-old mile handicap. Another shrewd purchase from Britain by owner David Spratt, the 5/2 joint-favourite was confirming the promise he showed on his Irish debut at Navan last month.
Inscribe wasn’t going as well as market rival Admirality when that one led with over a furlong to run but once he asserted he came home a length clear. The winner, a £14,000 purchase during the summer, could easily progress in the coming weeks.
“He wasn’t mad about the ground and was still a bit green. He’ll get further but it will depend on the ground whether he runs again this season,” declared Shane Lyons.
FIRST WINNER
It was a day to live long in the memory for apprentice jockey Scott McCullagh as he rode the first winner of his career aboard Mark Fahey’s Invincible Queen (12/1) in the first division of the 45-65 rated seven-furlong handicap. The son of Irish St Leger-winning jockey and weigh room stalwart Niall McCullagh, the 18-year-old apprentice got Invincible Queen to the front in the last furlong before a length and a half victory over the well-backed Aunty Audrey.
“She only had a feather-weight on her back with Scott’s claim and she handled the ground. We’ll look for another one of these before the end of the season,” declared Fahey, whose mother Maureen owns the winner. “I’m delighted for Scott especially as he’s ridden a few placed ones for me this season.”
The versatile Laid Back Luke (14/1) added a flat success to his previous triumphs in bumpers, hurdles and fences with a pillar-to-post tour de force in the mile and three-quarters handicap. The testing conditions were never going to be a problem for Sheila Lavery’s charge who has previously coped well with heavy winter ground. Robbie Colgan’s mount had his rivals at full stretch from some way out and he crossed the line with eight and a half lengths to spare.
“Robbie does all the work with him and he has done a fantastic job on him – the horse picked up an injury last winter and we’re lucky to have him back. We’ll look at going back jumping now,” observed the trainer whose brother John owns the nine-year-old.
Saracen Knight, whose career began with a very promising third to Saxon Warrior at the Curragh, bounced back from an odds-on defeat at Tipperary to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over a mile. The 1/2 favourite made the running for Seamie Heffernan but started to come under strong pressure early in the straight.
To his credit, the Aidan O’Brien inmate kept on well to contain various challengers and he finished one and three-quarter lengths ahead of the newcomer Razoul.
“I liked him on his first run and then he got beaten at Tipperary but the two that were in front of him that day are well above average,” reflected Heffernan. “He stays well and we’ve plenty of Camelots and the best is still to come from them.”
Jim Bolger, his wife Jackie and Kevin Manning ended the day with a double which began when Cimeara (10/1) came from an apparently hopeless position to make a winning debut in the median auction fillies’ maiden. The daughter of Vocalised was labouring in third last just inside the last quarter of a mile but she started to pick up when Kevin Manning switched her towards the inside.
In the closing stages, the relation of Goldikova came with a whirlwind charge that saw her defeat the 100/1 chance Dianthus by half a length.
“She was very green for one of ours but she came home really well. She should improve from this,” reported the trainer’s representative, Ger Flynn.
The brace was completed by Haunting Vocals, another daughter of Vocalised, in the seven-furlong nursery. As she switched from maidens to handicap company, the winner was backed from 12/1 into 9/1 on track and she produced a resolute effort from the front.
From early in the straight Haunting Vocals was being pressed by Ellona but she responded to Manning’s every call to score by two and a quarter lengths.
“Kevin rode her a bit differently today and she saw it out well – she will get further,” declared Ger Flynn.
Fresh from his victory at Limerick last Saturday, Voyageofdiscovery (9/2) followed up in the second division of the 45-65 rated seven-furlong handicap.
Thomond O’Mara’s charge cruised to the front for Tom Madden with well over a furlong to run but he needed the line badly late on and he scrambled home by a diminishing head from No Approval. The winner carries the colours of American-based owner Bart Murphy.
Jockeys’ bans
ROBSON Aguiar was given a three-day whip ban for his efforts on Shes Queen following her third place finish in the maiden won by Cimeara.
Conor Hobon was given a three-day careless riding ban after the stewards looked at the closing stages of the handicap won by Voyageofdiscovery.
Acting Stewards
N.P. Lambert, V. Connolly, M. Hillman, J. Martin-Smith, L. Walsh
Horse To Follow
AUNTY AUDREY (P.J. Flynn): On just her fifth run and her first since late June, this filly showed up well to chase home Invincible Queen. She should be able to make her mark before this year.