OVER the past seven years, Ger Lyons and Aidan O’Brien have dominated the Listed Coolmore Caravaggio Stakes to the exclusion of everyone else in the country and that was once again the case last Sunday as the former sent out the highly promising Justifier to make it two wins from as many starts.

The last three editions of this listed race had gone to Ballydoyle, with the two renewals before that having fallen to Lyons.

The O’Brien-trained Harpocrates was returned the 5/4 favourite to build on his victory at Naas six days previously, but Justifier was going much the better turning for home in this extended seven-furlong affair.

Defeated favourite

The son of the freshman sire Free Eagle, who carries the colours of Sean Jones and won a Leopardstown maiden a couple of months ago, was brought out into the middle of the track by Colin Keane off the last bend and he readily defeated the favourite by a length and a half. He looks every inch a pattern-class performer and next up for him could be the Group 2 KPMG Champions Juvenile Stakes at Leopardstown on Irish Champions Weekend.

HIS season has still to fulfil the major potential he showed when bolting up in a Curragh handicap on Guineas weekend, but on his first start since undergoing a soft palate operation, Denis Hogan’s Hathiq got back on track in the useful-looking five-furlong handicap.

The James McAuley-owned gelding, who cost just £3,000 earlier this year and was winning for the third time since coming to Ireland, had struggled in the Epsom Dash and Rockingham Handicap on his last two starts.

However, a break, that aforementioned procedure and a drop in class allowed him to produce a much more representative effort under Rory Cleary.

Hathiq (9/2) ran short of room when looking to challenge between horses with over a furlong to run but when an opening did appear, took full advantage to defeat Tide Of Time by a length and a half.

Ambitious plans are in place for the winner, who will return to this course and distance for the Abergwaun Stakes at the end of the month, and a victory there could act as the springboard to a crack at the Group 1 Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh on Irish Champions Weekend.

Rory Cleary pushes Hathiq home to win the Follow Tipperary On Facebook Handicap \ Healy Racing

Apprentices

Oisin Orr’s relentless pursuit of a second apprentice riders’ title yielded a double which concluded with a victory for Dermot Weld’s Kiss For A Jewel (6/4) in the nine-furlong fillies’ maiden.

This Moyglare Stud-owned daughter of Kingman had shown plenty of promise before this and, in first-time cheekpieces, she swept by Guinevere with a furlong to run to take control of this race. At the line, the 82-rated Kiss For A Jewel had two and a quarter lengths to spare over Dedillon.

Orr’s double began when David Marnane’s Cracking Name ran riot in the 45-65 rated handicap over an extended seven furlongs. The 7/1 shot produced much his best effort of the season to win by an easy two and a quarter lengths to get back to the form that carried him to three wins over the course of 2018.

Broad first flat win in five years

SUMMERHILL-based trainer David Broad sent out his first winner on the flat for five years as the useful The Peckhampounncer obliged in the five-furlong nursery. This colt, who hails from the first crop of the high-class juvenile Cappella Sansevero and is also owned by his trainer, had shown substantial promise in four previous maiden runs and looked more than good enough to make his mark at this level.

Over the course of the last furlong, the Robbie Colgan-ridden top-weight took the measure of the front-running Principalship to carry the day by two lengths.

The Birdcatcher at Naas could be a longterm objective for the trainer who currently has five horses under his care.

A season to live long in the memory for Andrew Slattery continued into the five-furlong Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Maiden which he won aboard the Fozzy Stack-trained Piece Of Paradise.

Slattery, whose 22-winner haul dwarfs the dozen victories he recorded during the entirety of last season, made much of the running on this Michael O’Flynn, Sue Magnier and Linda Shanahan-owned filly.

The application of blinkers and a first-time tongue-tie saw the 6/1 shot step forward on the form of her first two starts to defeat Lady Penelope by a length.

The afternoon concluded with an across-the-card double for Gavin Cromwell whose Duchess Ravenwaves landed the lady riders’ handicap over a mile and a half.

This was first victory for the five-year-old since she was purchased for €24,000 by owners Peter Michael and Keiran Byrne last November and, on her first run since April, she made short work of these opponents over the last furlong. The well-backed 4/1 chance surged clear for Aine O’Connor in the closing stages to defeat Danehill Quest by two and three-quarter lengths.

Trainer David Broad \ Healy Racing