THE Group 3 Text Your Bet To Paddy Power on 51465 Diamond Stakes topped the bill at Dundalk and Long Island Sound (4/5) battled to a gritty success as less than a length covered the first four home.
Aidan O’Brien’s charge was sent on from the start in a first-time visor but he was tackled and headed over a furlong out. Rallying well, the Ballydoyle three-year-old foiled English raider Battalion by a neck for the Coolmore partnership.
Long Island Sound was bringing up a double for his rider, Seamie Heffernan, who explained: “I would have preferred a lead but nobody wanted to go on. He took a blow at the wrong time but when he got his second wind he finished well.”
Secretariat Stakes runner-up Long Island Sound is now three from three at Dundalk.
Half an hour earlier in the Paddy Power Horse Racing Text Alerts On 51465 Race, Heffernan initiated his brace when Dont Bother Me (16/1), handled by Niall Moran in Co Sligo for Edric Browne, triumphed by three-quarters of a length from Russian Soul (had to switch to get a run).
“He’s hardy. He only ran once here before when he was second as a three-year-old. It might shorten the winter coming back again,” remarked Moran.
Billy Lee, rider of odds-on favourite Moviesta, sixth of the seven in this sprint, reported that his mount ran too free.
Earlier, the Download Paddy Power Super-Fast Messenger Betting App EBF Fillies Maiden (Plus 10 Race) saw the start of a double for Sean Jones, Ger Lyons and Colin Keane when Melisandre (14/1) scored.
Lyons deflected the praise to Keane in the aftermath, saying: “In fairness, it’s all down to Colin. He rides her every day. She’s just been a bit fussy all year and doing more than we want her to. I thought she did a very professional job there.”
Tracey Collins’ promising first-timer Three Sisters gave Melisandre most to do but she came up a length short at the line.
In the Paddy Power One Account Multiple Ways to Bet EBF Auction Maiden (Plus 10 Race) 35 minutes later, there was further joy for Jones, Lyons and Keane. Their Glastonbury Song fully justified the heavy market support that had him go off at 4/6 for his first start.
Reportedly backed in from an earlier 3/1, Glastonbury Song, in the words of his trainer, “walked out of the stalls,” but the sweet traveller came through from the back to lead over a furlong out. He extended away inside the last to defeat Chelsea Corsage by two and a quarter lengths.
“Mentally he’s very very immature. It’s been one step forward, two back with him all year,” disclosed Lyons. “He’s a horse for next year and we’ll put him away now. He’s a horse we think a lot of.”
COAKLEY WIN
In the opening Call Paddy Power For Free On 1800 721 821 Apprentice Handicap, Manorov (14/1) and Ross Coakley held on by a nose from Lily’s Prince (had to switch in the run and ultimately just failed).
Market leader Shabra Emperor beat only one home but he was struck into and was lame post-race.
The Sarah and Sean Foran-owned Manorov is trained by Tom McCourt and he reported at an improvement in form enquiry that the fitting of a tongue-strap (wore one just once in the past) made the difference. That explanation was noted.
Hurricane Cass (12/1 earlier into 7/2 favourite) was the focus of much of the pre-race attention in the Paddy Power Phone Betting 24/7 On 1800 721 821 Handicap, but Spruce Meadows stole the show for the John Feane yard.
Political Policy finished well but half a length was as close as he could get to the Gary Halpin-ridden Spruce Meadows. Halpin picked up a two-day whip suspension for not giving his mount time to respond.
The aforementioned Hurricane Cass kept on well in the final furlong to be one and three-quarters back in third.
Feane has care of Spruce Meadows for Ann Cassidy.
Denis Lenihan, jockey on Windsor Beach, got a one-day careless riding ban for an incident that occurred shortly after leaving the stalls. There was the same sanction for Shane Foley, after his mount, Tonkinese, caused interference to Windsor Beach in the closing stages.
In division one of the Track Your Favourite Horse On The Paddy Power Messenger Betting App Handicap, Sarah Ann Madden’s Shake The Bucket (6/1) won under her brother, Tom, consigning Meadow Cross to the runners-up spot by half a length.
Niall Madden’s nine-year-old was winning a 12th race, to add to a point-to-point victory. Little wonder then that the Naas-based trainer described him as “a little star’’.
Split two of this Track Your Favourite Horse On The Paddy Power Messenger Betting App Handicap rounded off the card.
Konig Hall was the big punt here from an early 10/1 into 9/4 favourite. He came home a strong finishing third, after not getting the run of the race, as Reddot Dancer (14/1) did the business for Michael Halford and Shane Foley.
Off a sliding mark and with blinkers deployed for the first time, Tay Hu Chor’s Reddot Dancer shed his maiden tag on start eight.
After being slowly away and held up in rear, Reddot Dancer came out best in a blanket finish, by a neck, and a head twice, from Trissino, the aforementioned Konig Hall, and Alhellal.
“He had a good run first time at the Curragh behind Hit It A Bomb but has been a bit disappointing since,” commented Foley. “He was very keen the last day in the Curragh so I decided to ride him dead today and it worked.
“He had a lot of ground to make up but did it, in fairness to him.”
Horse To Follow
THREE SISTERS (T. Collins) She made a nice start when runner-up to Melisandre in the fillies maiden.
Acting Stewards
P.N. Reynolds, Justice T. Hunt, Dr J.F. Gillespie, F.G. Fitzsimons, S Quinn.