SUPERSONIC Man further bolstered the Royal Ascot prospects for Jessica Harrington and owners Con and Theresa Marnane when he took the €25,000 Irish EBF Median Sires Series Race at Tipperary on Tuesday.

Ridden by Shane Foley, Supersonic Man finished well, beating Tiger Belle by a length and a half, adding to connections’ Marble Hill Stakes success with Givemethebeatboys at the Curragh on Saturday.

“We’ll be going to the Windsor Castle (Ascot) and Con said to enter him (Supersonic Man) in the Norfolk as well, but I think we’ll go to the Windsor Castle,” said Kate Harrington.

“He is a busy horse and was green through the middle part of the race so will improve plenty for that run. We ran him in Naas and he jumped and we let him relax that day. He had a good blow and has come on a tonne for it.

“I actually did like seeing him being a bit green through the middle part today because he hit the line really, really well. There’s plenty of improvement in him. He’s a lovely, big, strong horse.”

An hour later jockey Foley completed a double, landing the TipperaryRacecourse.ie Handicap on owner/breeder Con Harrington’s Gabriella’s Spirit (10/1), on her first start for trainer Ken Condon.

Afterwards Condon stated: “It is great to win for Con Harrington who has sent us fillies with similar profiles in the past and we had luck. Con only has a small broodmare band but has a lot of quality and she is well related, so her future lies as a broodmare.”

He added “she is a four year old so maybe can win again for him. She obviously likes the fast ground and on that evidence we’ll have a bit of fun with her. She had been training just ok but some of those with age and experience, when they come to the racecourse the adrenaline seems to kick in.

“We were hopeful as she wasn’t working super but what she did there was nice.”

Trainer Willie McCreery registered a first winner for owners Clipper Logistics Group when once-raced Collage (11/4) landed the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Med Auction Maiden under Billy Lee.

Runner-up on debut, the Churchill filly made headway on the outer entering the straight and eventually scored by a short-head from Golden Spangle.

“In fairness the track here is beautiful, it is lovely good ground and she loved it,” McCreery said.

“She travelled a bit wide. Billy thought she quickened up really nicely to go and win the race and was very green when she hit the front. Billy said to come back for an easy seven furlongs somewhere.

“It was a lovely run in Gowran and she has sharpened up a lot since then.”

JOEY Sheridan lost his right to claim with a 95th career winner at the Curragh on Sunday but was declared to ride under his 3lb allowance and took full advantage, completing a double for his employer trainer Denis Hogan.

Sheridan and Hogan began by winning the opening claiming race with well-supported Big Baby Bull (5/2), for the Premier Racing Club.

The seven-year-old had form-figures of ‘0000’ but possessed a rating of 81 and in the end comfortably beat Bringsty by two and a quarter lengths.

“It was a big drop in grade but he didn’t run as bad as his finishing position suggested at the Curragh on Friday,” Hogan said. “I wasn’t sure whether to skip the Curragh and come straight here but said why not run in both.

“He was weighted to be very competitive and he was only in for €10,000. These races are brilliant for the likes of him with his rating. I support these races well and wish there were even more claimers.”

The winner was later the subject of a friendly claim and remains with Hogan, who later sent out the Sheridan-ridden Autumnal Breeze to win the Tipperary Handicap, for owner Ray Treacy.

Afterwards Sheridan said: “Denis has gone home and is probably haying horses now so will be delighted.

“Her form wasn’t the best last year but went very weak and strengthened up a lot during the winter. In fairness to Denis and Ray they gave her plenty of time and let her come into her work, rather than forcing her and it paid dividends today.

“We went absolutely flat out, she was off the bridle and thought if she ran on for a place I’d be delighted but she fairly sluiced through them and they stopped a furlong out. She had a good look in front so will improve again and is off a nice mark.

“Ray is a great owner in the yard and is very good to everyone he knows around Cloughjordan.”

The Kieran Cotter-trained Heartrate (7/2, for the Owenbeg Syndicate & Kilmichael Racing Syndicate) was another narrow winner, landing the @tipperaryraces Maiden by a neck, under jockey Declan McDonogh.

Cotter commented “he was entitled to win and has been fairly consistent but is maybe below the class to win at the better tracks.

“He has some good form and we always thought he’d win one of these when he got good ground.

“He is a keen-going sprinter who battled the whole way and has a date at the July sales. He will be fun for someone as he is a good solid sound horse and will definitely suit someone.”

ANOTHER rider to complete a double was Wayne Lordan whose winners came in the closing races, beginning with the Ken Budds-trained, Stephen Fallon-owned Tastyee (7/1) in the Visit Tipperary Handicap.

By sprinting stallion Markaz, Tastyee was today winning on her first attempt at a mile and a half and Budds later said: “She ran really well when she was left at the start on really heavy ground over seven furlongs at the Curragh last year, where she flew home, and she has just been a hard mare to figure out.

“We kept stepping her up and up (in distance) and she kept hitting a flat spot. We chanced more stamina today and they went a right good gallop and she hit no flat spot.

“Her recent hurdles run toughened her up as she had been horse-shy and grew up. She is only small but is very tough and should be fun.”

Lordan completed his double in the concluding Racing Again On July 4th Maiden on the Aidan O’Brien-trained, Coolmore-owned Cape Bridgewater (15/2), which made most of the running to win well.

Afterwards Ballydoyle’s representative Chris Armstrong reported: “Wayne gave him a lovely ride from the front, he had a couple of good runs in maidens already and he appreciated the step up in trip.

“They went a nice tempo throughout, he is a horse who stays very well, is typical of Australia - very genuine and he’ll be one who we will let work his way through the grades in handicaps.

“It is nice to get him off the mark and he should pick up a handicap or two over a trip.”