Rest of Saturday card

JOHNNY Murtagh became the third trainer of the day to double up (Aidan O’Brien and Karl Burke being the others) when saddling Alakazi to win the Group 2 Tonybet Solonaway Stakes.

The Curragh conditioner had been victorious earlier with Rahmi in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Sovereign Path Handicap.

This was an important victory for Murtagh, who had a long and successful partnership with the late Aga Khan as a jockey and trainer and whose colours Ben Coen donned on the way to a comfortable win.

Mutasarref (16/1) came out of the pack under Gary Carroll to be second for Ger Lyons, a length and a quarter in arrears.

“You dream about days like today,” said Murtagh. “I’ve been telling Pat Downes all year how good this horse was. He was a bit of a work in progress. He was a bit aggressive earlier in the year, Ben was saying he’s not on the bridle or off the bridle.

“His last few bits of work have been great; he’s learning on the job. We were a little bit disappointed he didn’t win the last time, but we knew coming here that he was going to be a different proposition.

“He’s a beautiful horse and a beautiful horse to train. I think he can go all the way. He’s in at Ascot. He probably doesn’t want the ground too soft, and Ben said he handled that ground really well. I think he deserves a shot at it; he’s after winning a Group 2.

“I’d love to keep him for next year as well.”

Top weight

Murtagh had earlier witnessed 7lb claimer Rory Mulligan delivering top weight Rahmi with a withering run down the outside to land the €90,000 first prize on offer in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Sovereign Handicap for owner Richard McNally.

The six-year-old was one of four contestants in the seven-furlong race for Murtagh.

Despite a significant drift in the market to 14/1, Rahmi was a one-and-a-quarter-length victor over Michael Dods’ Glenfinnan (17/2), with Tribal Nation (6/1) the same distance back in third for Joseph O’Brien.

“He had a little bit of a hold-up earlier in the year,” Murtagh explained. “We ran him in Cork when he was 80%, so I was very happy with the way he ran. Niall McCullagh rode him and said he would come on a ton.

“This has been the plan for a while but top weight in these handicaps is always difficult but in fairness to Rory, he rode him during the week and said, ‘This horse is flying’.

“The 16 draw wasn’t ideal, but for this horse it doesn’t matter. He loves to wing down the outside and you could see from a furlong down he was going to get there.

“It’s nice to get one on the board early. Champions Weekend is a big weekend.”

HAPPY Pharoah gave Donnacha O’Brien and Paddy Harnett a win in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Petingo Handicap over 13 furlongs.

It was not without controversy, however, and the American Pharoah colt had to survive a stewards’ enquiry after he had veered into runner-up Light As Air in the closing stages.

Jack Cleary appeared to be getting another run out of the Aidan O’Brien-trained charge, but with a head the margin of victory, the stewards determined that the son would keep the race rather than the father inheriting it.

It was a third success at the track for Happy Pharoah.

“He’s a right horse. He’s done nothing but improve and he deserved a big pot like this,” gushed the younger O’Brien.

“I think he might get into the Cesarewitch now with a winners’ penalty. That’s kind of what I’m thinking, if it works out that way.”

Fairytale triumph

Stephen Thorne marked his first full season with a fairytale triumph in the nightcap, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Autumn Fillies Handicap over a mile.

Thorne has enjoyed a strong start to his career as a licence-holder, after a successful stint with his cousin, Ado McGuinness, and David Egan came from the clouds on Pink Oxalis to prevail at 22/1, with 40/1 shot Anvika chasing a length and three-quarters behind.

“It’s been a fabulous weekend to showcase Irish racing and just to be part of it is very special. To get one on the board in my first full season as a trainer means a hell of a lot.

“I’ve got a great team of people behind me. My assistant, Stephen Mooney is a big part of it.

“I feel sorry for Jack Kearney because when we’d seen the draw for this race, we swapped him off this filly, who he’s won three times on, onto the other filly (Independent Expert). Obviously David has given her a perfect ride.

“To start life off 59 in the winter time in Dundalk has given her a lot of confidence to come into the turf season. These races aren’t easily won, but she looked a hell of a good filly there today.”