THE Aidan O’Brien-trained Longing, who had shown plenty of promise on her debut when third in a good class Leopardstown maiden over a slightly longer trip back in April, lived up to the hype when opening her account under Seamie Heffernan in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Tipperary on Tuesday.

Having chased home two smart types in Bengala and Aurora Butterfly at Leopardstown, with subsequent dual scorer Constant Comment back in fourth, Longing stepped up to the plate to wear down Rickrack in the final 75 yards for a three-quarter-length success.

Sent off the even-money favourite, the three-year-old races in the familiar dark blue colours of Sue Magnier who shares ownership of the Galileo filly with Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Markus Jooste.

Heffernan reported: “She had the form to win, but it doesn’t always work out like that.

“She’s a big heavy mare so, you’d think, looking at her, there’s plenty of improvement in her.” Longing has been pencilled in to run next in a listed race at Naas in a couple of weeks time and her jockey added: “I like her and going up a couple of furlongs to listed level will suit her.”

Ballydoyle were also responsible for the first three home in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden confined to juveniles in which the Wayne Lordan-ridden 12/1 winner Zabriskie showed a willing attitude from the front to fend off the challenge of Spanish Point by a head in the colours of Maria Niarchos’s Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd. It was a further three and three quarters of a length back to market leader Saracen Knight in third.

Lordan, who has enjoyed his first season in Ballydoyle commented of the Frankel half-brother to the Arc winner Bago: “He’s a very tough genuine lad and he came forward a good bit from the first day. When Donnacha joined me (on Spanish Point) it helped me.”

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Curragh handler Patrick Prendergast and his Grangecon Stud patron Rick Barnes, who were both attending the sales at Goffs, were on the mark in the Tipperaryraces.ie Nursery Handicap with Ronan Whelan’s mount Triple Sec who wore down the front-running Ellona in the closing stages to win, going away by one and a quarter lengths from Scoil Naisiunta at a price of 5/1.

Whelan remarked: “She was always threatening to do that at home, but things just didn’t click for her – she was weak, but is starting to strengthen up as the year goes on. Stepping her up in trip next year will suit her.”

The disappointing favourite here was Piper Bomb who ran no sort of race.

Barnes had earlier had to settle for a dead-heat in the opening Welcome To Tipperary Races Maiden after his representative Court Queen, with Pat Smullen in the saddle, had to share the spoils with Godolphin’s front-running 7/4 favourite Hushing.

Smullen rode 8/1 chance Court Queen for Fozzy Stack and said on his return: “Obviously it’s great for her pedigree to get a win under her belt. I always thought she was capable of winning a race like this and the conditions were right.

“Billy, having the rail, was a big help to him and my one wandered around a little bit but in the last 50 yards she stuck her head down and hit the line good.”

Lee was riding Hushing for Willie McCreery and commented: “I quickened with 100 yards to go and thought I had it, but it’s great to get a win out of her because her brother Sound And Silence won the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot and a Group 3 in France the other day, so she’s a valuable mare.

“I think it’s only now that we’re finding out that she enjoys sprinting and the conditions suited her. We’ll get some blacktype for her before the end of the season.”

Athlone trainer Tom Cleary sent out his first winner of the year when his 12/1 shot Landline overcame a potentially bad draw to take the Like Tipperary Races On Facebook 45-65 Handicap by two and three quarters of a length in the hands of his son Rory at the expense of the ‘good thing’ Free To Roam.

Said Cleary: “He got there at last, but I was afraid that the ground might have been too soft for him, although he showed little bits of form on it earlier on.

“Yesterday, I had a chat with my brother-in-law Mattie O’Toole who used to train about running and he said: ‘Why not? It’s getting near the end of the season’ and it paid off! Hopefully we’ll get another couple of winners before the season is out.”

Cavan-based Tony Mulholland made the four-hour journey from Cootehill worthwhile with a narrow success for bargain purchase Feeling Easy in the Buy Tickets Online @Tipperaryraces.ie 45-70 Handicap.

Owned by Ciaran Carvill from Portadown, the 7/1 shot contained the late flourish of Military Hill, who flew at the finish, by a short-head.

“I thought she had just held on,” said the trainer. “She was dropped 10lb and won this time last year, so ground is probably the key to her. She’s been a bit disappointing until now, but has come to herself and we’ll try and pick up another one of those.”

Dick Donohoe’s Gowran yard had the final say in the Racing Again October 1st 45-65 Handicap when Harvey Spector, a beaten favourite last time at his local track, made amends when responding to pressure from Denis Linehan to get on top by a two-length margin from Bella Rua.

Paul Sweeney from Letterkenny has a half-share in this 11/2 winner and the successful trainer stated: “He’s run into bits of form lately and toughed it out well. He’s a fairly highly-strung horse, but Denis got him settled and he’s a very good rider and a strong lad, too.”

ACTING STEWARDS

S. McDonogh, J. Moloney, R. Rohan, M.J. Doyle, M.F. O’Donoghue.

HORSE TO FOLLOW

MILITARY HILL: (A. McGuinness) Re-equipped with blinkers, they woke up the four-year-old, to such an extent that he was flying at the finish in second in the 45-70 handicap. Worth keeping an eye on.