THE heart-warming victory of Vischio lit up the final day of the turf season as the progressive dual-purpose mare recorded an eighth win in just over two years and also supplied trainer Dick Donohoe with a career high in the Listed Start Your Racing TV Free Trial Now Finale Stakes.

The six-year-old didn’t go unsupported at 16/1 and was never too far from the pace, travelling well to lead about a furlong out before keeping on well under Gary Carroll to beat Helvic Dream by three quarters of a length.

“It’s absolutely brilliant for the syndicate involved – my cousin Michael and his sister Mag and the sons,” said the Gowran trainer before adding: “She was bought for a good friend of mine, John Kennedy, who was fighting cancer at the time. She was second in a seller and we were able to claim her for about 8,000 pounds.

“She won a hurdle race just before Michael died and the current syndicate have had nothing but fun with her ever since.

“She started off this spring and has been at nearly every festival since. We thought she might not go on heavy ground and it’s better she’s got on heavy ground. You could see lately she was in brilliant form, and she’s really strengthened.

“She had a bit to find on several horses in the race but there is always a chance in an end of season race that horses may not run to form and we were hoping to sneak some blacktype but to win was a dream.

“I’d say she’ll race away. I had it in my head to go to Leopardstown at Christmas for a hurdle race but I don’t know if that will happen now. She has a mark over hurdles that you’d say she might be able to compete off, but we’ll have to sit down and talk with Michael and Mag.”

Champion

On the day when Aidan O’Brien was crowned champion trainer for a 26th time, it was appropriate the master of Ballydoyle sent out the final winner of the turf season as Queenstown overcame a six-month absence to deny Neptunes Staircase by just a nose.

“He’s a grand, honest horse and stays well,” said stable representative Chris Armstrong of the 4/6 favourite. “Seamus (Heffernan) felt he got a bit tired in the ground in the closing stages and that’s why he wandered off a bit but he’s a typical Galileo and never lay down.”

Falcon is ‘teak tough’

DERMOT Weld rounded off the season with a feature race win as Falcon Eight gained a deserved success in the Group 3 Comer Group International Loughbrown Stakes.

The two-mile event proved attritional in the heavy ground as the eight-year-old stretched right away inside the final furlong under Chris Hayes to beat Echoes In Rain by six and a half lengths.

“He’s as tough as teak and is unlucky not to win the last two runnings of the Irish Cesarewitch, so he deserved a nice win here,” said Weld of the Dr Ronan Lambe-owned 11/4 winner. “He’s been a great dual-purpose servant and his full-sister Search For A Song won this race two years ago. He might go over hurdles at Leopardstown at Christmas or he could go to Dubai for the two-mile race. He has stacks of enthusiasm, but he is a character.”

Saltonstall, trained by Ado McGuinness for Dooley Thoroughbreds and Bart O’Sullivan, was another veteran recording a significant victory at odds of 11/1 in the Tote Athgarvan Handicap.

The nine-year-old son of Pivotal notched up his 10th career win and fourth in a premier handicap when leading inside the final 100 yards to beat Indigo Five by a neck.

“Everyone loves him in the yard and I think there are a few waiting to get him when he’s retired but he’s still loving the game,” said rider Adam Caffrey, who finished second to Jamie Powell in the apprentice championship after this 25th success of the season. “Starting off the year I was chinned on him here in the Lincoln so to finish it off like that is great.”

WAYNE Hassett partnered a near 33/1 double on the afternoon aboard Kolachi and Zephron. The former opened his account at the third attempt when taking the Castle Star Standing At Capital Stud Irish EBF Maiden in fine style.

Trained by Joseph O’Brien for Stride Racing, the well-backed 7/2 chance made headway between horses to lead over a furlong out and despite drifting left, kept on well to beat Autumn Winter by three and three-quarter lengths.

Zephron turned what appeared a highly competitive 22-runner Mongey Communications Handicap into a rout as the six-year-old gelding, owned by racecourse bookmaker Colm White and supported from 10/1 overnight into 13/2, stretched clear inside the final furlong to beat Blue Peak by six lengths.

Winning trainer Denis Cullen said: “Early on this year my horses weren’t right and I suppose he’s handicapped himself but once he’s hit form he’s been consistent all the way through. He loves that ground and stays a mile, so with the hike he’ll get for that he might get into the Lincoln next year.”

Big Gossey, a dual winner of the valuable Bold Lad Handicap here on Irish Champions Weekend, recorded his fifth victory at the Curragh but his first over seven furlongs in the Sheehy Motors Volkswagen Race.

The Allegro Syndicate-owned grey gelding dug deep to head 5/4 favourite Yosemite Valley 150 yards out for a three-quarters-of-a-length success.

“He’s been a great old horse for me this year and I won the Bold Lad on him. He’s given my career a boost,” said 5lb claimer Robert Whearty of the 11/4 shot. “I thought he hit the line well in the Bold Lad and that he’d stay the seven.”

Conor Stone-Walsh has proved another rising star in the apprentice ranks this term and partnered his 24th winner of the campaign but his first ever at headquarters when the always prominent Mikey The Steel held off Transcendental by a neck in a blanket finish to the Cavalor Equine Nutrition Handicap.

“He winged the gates and travelled good,” said Stone-Walsh of the 14/1 winner, trained by Joe Murray for John Lynch and Patrick Sheridan. “He loves the ground and five on that ground is probably his ideal trip.”