A RESURGENT Jeremys Joy belied her position as the rank outsider of the field as she was produced in the form of her life by Keith Clarke to win the featured Irish Stallion Farms EBF Connacht Oaks Fillies Handicap.

Throughout her career, the daughter of Jeremy has shown a distinct preference for soft ground and, on her first outing for four months, she had her ideal conditions for this near mile and a half event. Even so Robbie Downey’s mount was allowed to go off at 25/1.

A patient Downey kept the P.J. O’Brien-owned mare at the back of the field but the pair started to make good progress on the inner from the turn-in. Jeremys Joy threaded her way through to strike the front with a furlong to run and she came nicely clear to finish with three and three-quarter lengths to spare over Byron Beauty.

“After her last run over hurdles she had a muscle injury so we gave her some time and she is a real good mare who loves soft ground,” said a delighted Clarke. “On this card last year at Sligo she won the race after this but I said we’d come here as I thought this race might cut up. P.J. is a great owner, he has three with me, and we’re looking forward to her going back over hurdles later in the year.”

Colin Keane, Ger Lyons and Qatar Racing enjoyed a first and last race double which was completed by Cannonball in the 10-furlong Railway Bar Race. The Lope De Vega colt, a maiden winner on Derby weekend, made all the running and from early in the straight he was always doing enough. The 9/10 favourite finished with two and three-quarter lengths to spare over the 104-rated Red Label. He’s very ground dependent and that’s why he came here. It’s a good front-runner’s track and I said to Colin to bounce out and ride him like the best horse in the race,” declared Lyons. “We’ll look for a stakes race now but the ground will dictate where he goes.”

Earlier, the Lyons-trained Ball Girl built on her promising debut second at Gowran Park last month to justify evens favouritism in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Fillies Maiden. However, the testing ground meant that she had to work hard in this seven-furlong heat.

Colin Keane went to the front over two furlongs from home on Ball Girl and the pair soon held a useful lead. The last furlong took plenty of getting though and a staying-on Himmah closed to within one and three-quarter lengths at the line.

“She’s dead honest but Colin did say the ground was horrible for her and she got tired out in front,” reported Lyons. “She is in the Loder Race at the Curragh on Sunday but we’ll see. Colin said if we wanted we could probably come back a furlong in trip.”

A marvelous season for Not A Bad Oul Day continued into the Paul Byron Shoes Rated Race which provided Johnny Feane’s charge with his fifth success of the campaign. Just two days previously, the well-backed 7/4 favourite finished down the field in the Ahonoora Handicap at Galway but he turned out fresh on his favoured soft ground. Dylan Hogan made the running on the teak-tough five-year-old who maintained an unfaltering tempo to contain last week’s winner Perfect Soldier by a length and a quarter.

“Things didn’t got to plan at Galway when they went very fast up front but he’s a little one dimensional in that respect. He got a grand lead tonight and stuck at it well,” reflected Feane, who trains the winner for Declan Lynch.

WELD

A heartening few days for Dermot Weld’s string yielded an across-the-cards double which was completed by Zabalan (10/1) in the Class Grass Handicap. This lightly raced son of Dutch Art showed his unplaced run at the Curragh last time to be all wrong as he ran out a clear cut winner. Quite a few of the runners were still in contention in the closing stages of this 10-furlong affair but none could live with the Leigh Roche-ridden four-year-old who finished strongly to score by two and a quarter lengths.

Jessica Harrington’s Ballot Box (8/1) bounced back from a last gasp defeat in a Leopardstown claimer 12 days previously to get up late on in the J.F. Hanley Nursery Handicap. Piper Bomb seized control of this race when striking for home well over a furlong out but she needed the line badly in the closing stages and Ballot Box, who came with a steady effort under Colm O’Donghue, got up in the final yards.

“She’s a tough, hardy filly and the ease in the ground suited her and she stayed every yard of that seven furlongs. She’ll go for another nursery,” reported Jessica Harrington, who trains the filly for Juliet Cooper.

There was a 14/1 surprise lying in wait in the Michael Holland Tyres Handicap as the Ray Hackett-owned and trained Texas Katie prevailed. The Emmet McNamara-ridden filly raced up with the pace-setting favourite Twist Of Magic and this pair’s protracted battle put them several lengths in advance of the others for most of the straight.

Texas Katie gained the upper hand entering the last furlong but she only held on by a neck from the staying-on Camiyra with the especially unlucky Ojinjintka half a length back in third.

“That’s only her third run for us and we’re just learning about her still,” reported Hackett.

“She likes being in front so when she breaks well you have a chance. Soft ground and either six or seven furlongs is a good trip for her. She can be a little buzzy but if you can keep a lid on her she will give you everything.”

ACTING STEWARDS

T. McDonagh, S.H. Walford, J. O’Shaughnessy, G. McCourt, P.D. Matthews

Horse To Follow

OJINJINTKA (H. Rogers): This filly was an unlucky loser in the handicap won by Texas Katie and with better luck in running she would have won. She should be able to make her mark at handicap level in the autumn.

Jockeys banned

SEAN Davis picked up a one-day whip ban for his efforts on Perfect Soldier in the rated race and was then hit with another three days after guiding Twist Of Magic into fourth in the handicap won by Texas Katie.

Emmet McNamara was given a one-day whip suspension for his ride on Texas Katie. Denis Linehan, who rode the runner-up Camiyra, was given a three-day whip ban.