CANNY English trainer Paul Midgley was rewarded for his two pronged raid on this fixture as he combined with Pat Smullen to record a double which was completed by the imposing Giant Spark in the near six-furlong handicap.
The overseas challengers represented something of a curiosity at this low key end of season fixture and, once again, illustrated their trainer’s prowess with sprinters. Firstly to Giant Spark, who was winning for the fourth time in his last six starts. This strapping son of Orientor, who would be quite at home among amongst a line up of chasers, was returned the 3/1 favourite and set out to make all the running.
Giant Spark looked as though he was in trouble when headed by Rattling Jewel after halfway but he got back on top inside the distance before running on well to the line. At the finish the Frank Brady-owned and trained gelding had a length and a quarter to spare over his aforementioned opponent.
“He’s a huge horse and looks anything but a sprinter. It was probably his size got him into trouble coming down the hill as he didn’t enjoy it but when he met the rising ground he kept on very well,” said Smullen. “Fair play to Paul. He targeted the meeting with these two horses and he does very well with his sprinters.”
Earlier, the Midgley-trained One Boy secured the 45-75 rated five-furlong handicap. In the colours of Scottish owner Bobby Wardlaw, the 11/2 chance was making it two wins from four starts for his trainer. One Boy got to the front at the furlong pole for a half-length triumph over the hat-trick chasing Doonard Prince.
“He won well and handled the ground well. Paul just told me not to get there too soon on him and I probably did hit the front a bit early but he got to the line well.”
Smullen went on to end the day with a treble as Dermot Weld’s Vigil (7/4) took the one-mile, five-furlong maiden to improve on his second in a similar event here a fortnight previously.
The smart hurdler made the running and showed a fine attitude in the last furlong to hold off the oncoming Bay Of Biscay.
The latter was closing in with every stride over the last 50 yards but the Noel Furlong-owned seven-year-old, who has run creditably at the last three Cheltenham Festivals, held on by a short-head.
“I wanted to make plenty of use of him as stamina is his forte. He was getting lonely in the last furlong but, in fairness to him, he was very brave,” declared Smullen.
The teak tough Ceol Na Nog (8/1), who had held her form well throughout a busy campaign, made it four wins from 13 starts in 2016 in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap over 10 furlongs.
A three-times winner in as many weeks during the summer, the Jackie Bolger-owned filly found herself 15lb higher than when last successful in a handicap. That was no barrier to success though as the daughter of Teofilo cut out a decent pace and maintained a good gallop to come home half a length in front of Elm Grove.
“She likes it there (third win at the track) and it’s possible that she could run again at Leopardstown next weekend. Then I have to figure out how to mate her,” declared Jim Bolger.
Following his second to Spirit Of Valor at Naas on Sunday, Imagine If repaid the decision to turn him out quickly in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over the minimum trip.
Colin Keane was always well-placed on the Vincent Gaul-owned son of Dream Ahead, who moved ahead with over a furlong to run.
At this stage the 6/4 favourite looked to have done enough to prevail but he needed the line as Elizabeth Browning’s whirlwind finish got her to within a nose.
“He has problems with his knees and he couldn’t have it soft enough,” declared Lyons. “It was a bit quick to run him back after Naas and it was asking a lot of him as he’s still quite immature in his knees. We’ll put him away and when everything settles down I think he could be a very smart horse.”
Punters endured a reversal in the other two-year-old contest as the experienced 80-rated Perfect Storm (7/1) bested the evens-favourite Harbour Beacon in the median auction maiden over a mile.
Ana O’Brien made all the running on Perfect Storm, who first saw off Fior Cliste before then containing the last furlong challenge of Harbour Beacon by half a length. Aidan O’Brien’s charge is due to come under the hammer at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale on Monday.
Easily the best backed winner of the day came in the three-year-old mile handicap where Song Of The Sky struck for Declan McDonogh and John Murphy.
The Cork trainer’s flat team are finishing the season with a flourish and that wasn’t lost on punters who backed the filly from 25/1 in the morning into 13/2 to improve on a creditable effort in a Curragh handicap last week.
After leading with around two furlongs to run the Armada Racing Partnership-owned daughter of Rip Van Winkle came home with two and a half lengths to spare over the strong-finishing Sixtyfiveroses.
ACTING STEWARDS
P. Molony, Mrs. T.K. Cooper, E. Galvin, D. McCorkhill, P.D. Matthews
HORSE TO FOLLOW
DRAGON FEI (D. McLoughlin): This Jeremy filly produced her best effort for some time to finish a close third in the fillies handicap won by Ceol Na Nog and she could be very interesting if switching her attentions back to hurdling in the coming weeks.