BACK to the scene of his last triumph, Washington DC notched up a well deserved success at the expense of old rival Ardhoomey in the Listed Woodlands Stakes.
Since he won at this track last May, the Aidan O’Brien-trained four-year-old had run some fine races in top sprints and he reached the frame in a pair of Group 1 contests last summer. That calibre of form, allied to the benefit of a recent outing in Dubai, gave Washington DC compelling claims and the 2/1 favourite duly obliged.
Seamie Heffernan’s mount eased into the reckoning approaching the last furlong. settling down to do battle with Ardhoomey and took his measure over the last 150 yards without being subjected to much pressure. At the line, a neck separated the front pair with Primo Uomo running a fine race to take third.
“All Aidan’s will improve for their first runs and hopefully there’s more than one big day in this horse this year,” said Heffernan. “This season he’ll have no trouble mixing it between five and six furlongs.”
The regally bred Lightening Fast, a son of Frankel and his trainer’s Cheveley Park Stakes winner Lightening Pearl, shed his maiden tag in the first staging of the €50,000 premier handicap for three-year-olds over a mile. The 11/4 favourite was going nicely when he eased into contention with over a quarter of a mile to run and it wasn’t long before he had this race under control.
In the closing stages he responded well to Colin Keane’s promptings to finish with a length and a quarter to spare over the Madrid Handicap hero Gino Severini.
“He came back with a run over 10 furlongs at Naas but we knew the better ground would suit and he has pace enough to come back to a mile,” declared Ger Lyons of the Qatar Racing Limited colt. “He will get a mile and a quarter and hopefully he will progress into a listed horse.”
ROYAL ASCOT
A hugely interesting Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden kicked off this card and Ken Condon has Royal Ascot in mind for Romanised (14/1). This Holy Roman Emperor colt, whose close relations include the top-class Designs On Rome, only won by half a length but there was much to like about his effort.
When Shane Foley angled him off the rail to challenge with over a furlong to run, Romanised lengthened in fine style to reel in the front-running Brick By Brick by half a length with the Ballydoyle newcomer, Declarationofpeace, third.
There was notable support for quite a few of the runners here and this could turn out to be a very smart maiden.
“Right from the start we liked him and this isn’t a surprise on what he had been showing us,” remarked Condon, who trains the colt for Far Eastern owner Robert Ng.
“He travels like a very nice horse and he has a nice, relaxed way of doing things. I’d say we will look at the Marble Hill Stakes next and hopefully he’ll be one for the Coventry or the Norfolk at Ascot.”
Apprentice Nathan Crosse (17) notched up the second success of his career as he guided Peticoatgovernment to victory in the near six-furlong handicap. Now a four-time winner, this four-year-old made the running for Crosse and established a useful advantage with over a furlong to run which enabled her to withstand Split The Atom’s late charge by a neck.
“Billy (Lee) couldn’t do the weight on her and Nathan is putting in the effort so he deserved his chance on her,” stated Willie McCreery, who trains the filly for the Peticoatgovernment Syndicate.
“She’s a tough filly and will keep going through the year and hopefully she’ll get some blacktype before she goes to the sales.”
The 10-furlong maiden produced a willing winner in Jim Bolger’s Chronicles (3/1) who was building on an encouraging debut fourth to Insayshable earlier this month. Kevin Manning’s mount was at the head of the field turning for home but wasn’t going as well as some of his rivals.
To his credit, he kept pulling out more and one by one the challengers gave way to the Godolphin-owned son of Teofilo. Chronicles hit the line with a neck to spare over the staying-on newcomer Night Of Glory with that horse’s stablemate Act Of Valour the same distance back in third.
“He battled well and handled the quick ground well. He’s still a bit green and hopefully he’ll improve a bit. It took him a long time to pull-up which is hopefully a good sign,” reported the trainer’s representative, Ger Flynn.
Dermot Weld’s So You Thought was another looking to improve on a heartening Leopardstown debut and he duly emerged victorious in the median auction maiden over a mile. The Calumet Farm-owned colt, who was third to Irishcorrespondent several weeks previously, turned in a nice effort under Pat Smullen. The 9/4 shot led with over a furlong to run and found plenty under pressure to repel the well-backed Faradays Law by half a length.
“He had a good first run and that entitled him to have a strong chance here. He battled well when he needed to,” remarked the champion jockey.
The experienced maiden Pillar (5/1), who had been running well on the polytrack this year, finally got his turn in the five-furlong handicap. The four-year-old came through to hold every chance for Colin Keane shortly after halfway and he kept on well over the last furlong to defeat Gopsies Daughter by a neck.
“He was due that and he loves quick ground so we’ll tip away with him in this grade over the summer,” stated Adrian McGuinness. “A stiff five or six furlongs is what he wants and it’s great to have a winner here for Sean Gallagher as this is his local track.”
Brian Nolan sent out his first winner since October 2015 as Keep Believing (9/1) secured the 45-65 handicap over a mile. The Zoffany gelding picked up 7lb for his second to Make It Hurrah At Cork at the start of the month but shrugged aside that hike to get the better of frontrunner Roses Need Rain by three-quarters of a length.
Nolan, who trains the gelding for his wife Annette, reported that Keep Believing could head to Gowran Park on Sunday.
Halpin ban
GARY Halpin picked up a one-day careless riding ban in the two-year-old maiden.
Quick ground
BILLY Lee reported that the good-to-firm ground was too quick for the Cork listed winner Downforce who finished down the field in the Woodlands Stakes.
ACTING STEWARDS
R. Dore, L. McFerran, J. Collins, J. Rearden, H. Hynes
Horse To Follow
ANOTHER BATT (J.W. Nicholson): This Windsor Knot colt caught the eye with his strong-finishing fifth in the two-year-old maiden. This represented a very heartening start.