ON a torrid evening for punters at Fairyhouse that saw all seven favourites meet with defeat, Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen took the honours with a double, which was completed in taking style by the newcomer Adool.
In the colours of Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, Adool was returned at 4/1 for the 10-furlong fillies maiden, which she won with a good deal to spare.
The relation to a host of top class European runners travelled nicely through the race for Pat Smullen and wasted no time settling the outcome with over a furlong to run.
She shrugged off the effort of fellow newcomer Easy In Love to shoot clear and finish with four and a half lengths to spare.
“She did it well. She was very fit coming here and loved the fast ground. She’s one that should progress through the season,” said the winning trainer.
Both of the odds-on chances on the card were beaten and the second of these was Pacodali who had run so well to take fourth behind Awtaad in the Tetrarch Stakes.
That display meant that he was sent off at 8/13 for the seven-furlong median auction maiden but he was unable to match Weld’s Footbridge (3/1).
The Khalid Abdullah-owned son of the top-class American mare Tates Creek opened up a good lead for Smullen entering the last couple of furlongs and, hard as he tried, Pacodali was unable to land a telling blow. He went down by a length and a quarter.
“The trip was right and so was the ground and he was in great form too,” declared the trainer. “He’d a good run in Naas when the ground was softer than ideal and then I probably ran him back a bit soon last time. He’s in the July Sale.”
Elusive In Paris (5/2) notched up his third win for Johnny Feane since being claimed for €8,000 at Dundalk in April as he defied top-weight in the apprentice handicap.
A runner-up in his two other outings for Feane, the seven-year-old had never won beyond a mile prior to this, but he saw out this 10 furlongs trip well.
The Gary Halpin-ridden gelding found himself in front well over a furlong from home but he stuck to his task to finish four lengths ahead of Clifton Miss.
“The weight was a bit of a worry today and it’s great he’s won again although I thought he was all out to be honest,” commented Feane whose charge carries the blue and yellow Longford county colours of Orlagh Reynolds.
The reliable Blood Moon opened his account for the season with a thoroughly willing effort in the Coral.ie Rated Race over six furlongs.
The Sean Jones-owned gelding, who has won or been placed in nine of his 12 career outings, faced just three rivals as he dropped down in grade following a sixth to Washington DC in a Navan listed race last month.
The top-rated runner in the field was only the third choice in the market at 11/4 but he already had the favourite, Munshid, in trouble when he moved to the front early in the straight.
THREATENED
Golden Pearl threatened at various stages over the last furlong and a half but Blood Moon found plenty for Colin Keane to repel her by a length and three-quarters.
“He does nothing at home. He’s very lazy and he just leads two-year-olds,” declared Ger Lyons. “I thought the 4lb he got for his run at Navan could cost him, but that was a proper race and he ran well there. Conditions suited us and thankfully we were able to capitalise on them.”
Elusive Beauty (3/1) built on a distinctly promising run behind Cuff at Naas last month to give Ken Condon his first juvenile success of the season in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Auction Maiden.
From the entrance to the straight Elusive Beauty went toe to toe with Sheisdiesel and she gamely answered Shane Foley’s every call when it mattered most. The daughter of Elusive Pimpernel, who hails from the family of Bigstone, hit the line with a head to spare over her aforementioned opponent.
“She was very green the first day she ran and then improved to be fifth to Cuff last time. I was concerned the ground might be too quick for her but they have done a good job on it,” remarked Ken Condon.
NURSERIES
“Easier ground might suit her better and she’ll get seven furlongs. We’ll just sit back and see what’s coming up before the nurseries start. She’s the first horse that David Kelly has had with me.”
The evening began with a major reversal for favourite backers as Saga Sprint (8/1) turned over Palavicini Run (4/9) in the 10-furlongs claimer.
Given that she chased home the subsequent Gallinule Stakes second Santa Monica on her previous outing, Saga Sprint went off a surprisingly big price.
Daniel Redmond produced the Jean-Mary Saguin-owned daughter of Excellent Art to head Palavicini Run inside the distance and Saga Sprint finished with three and a quarter lengths to spare.
The winner was subsequently claimed by Jimmy Finn for €24,000 while Philip M. Byrne picked up the second for €15,000.
“She hated the ground but I think in the autumn she could win a nice handicap with an ease in the ground. She’s a lovely, honest filly,” remarked trainer James Barrett.
Armagh-based trainer Natalie Lupini sent out her second winner as Blairmayne overcame the potentially mortal blow of a wide draw in the Coral-sponsored 47-65 rated handicap over seven furlongs.
Kieren Fallon got his mount into a good position and, after making his way to the front nearing the final furlong, the 8/1 chance accounted for Three Majors by two and a quarter lengths.
“We were concerned by the draw but we were hoping the jockey could overcome that,” reported the trainer of the Raintree Racing Partnership-owned winner.
“He’s been working well and came here in very good form, and he might come back here on Wednesday for a six-furlong handicap.”
ACTING STEWARDS
C.P. Magnier, M.C. Hickey, Mrs T.K. Cooper, C. Cunningham, S. Quinn
HORSE TO FOLLOW
SWISH (J.J. Feane): She followed an encouraging debut run behind Cuff to finish a close third in the maiden won by Elusive Beauty. A maiden success shouldn’t be long in coming her way.