ONLY five went to post but the Listed Coolmore Ten Sovereigns Tipperary Stakes served up a titanic finale and in an enthralling three-way photo it was Donnacha O’Brien’s Wodao who struck under Gavin Ryan.

After running a respectable eighth in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Ascot two weeks previously, Wodao (5/4) lined up for a third crack at the odds-on favourite The Antarctic (10/11). The latter didn’t have all that much to spare over Wodao having beaten him by less than a length on their two previous meetings and this time the day belonged to the Atlantic Thoroughbreds-owned son of Showcasing who turned in a really likeable effort.

Wodao set off in the front rank and remained there as the last furlong loomed, but inside the distance it seemed as though Ardad’s Great was coming with a winning effort while the favourite was also finishing strongly after a slightly slow start left him on the backfoot.

As the line loomed the eye was drawn to Ardad’s Great, but under the stand’s side rail Wodao refused to yield and in the bobbing finish edged the verdict by a nose, with The Antarctic a further short head away in third. A tough and hardy type, the likeable winner was making it two wins from six starts.

“He didn’t get it easy in front but he’s a very tough and genuine horse,” said the trainer. “He’s an uncomplicated horse and five or six furlongs on quick ground or slow ground doesn’t matter to him and he always tries his best. We’ll keep him in stakes company and the Molecomb at Goodwood is a race we could look at but we’ll see how he comes out of this.”

Double

A fine evening for Donnacha O’Brien and Gavin Ryan yielded a double as La Dolce Vita produced a nice performance to defeat the colts in the Glenvale Stud Race over an extended seven furlongs.

The daughter of Caravaggio finished a fine second in a Gowran maiden last month on her third outing and looks to have stepped forward again. From the turn in she gave the impression that she had the front-running Pivotal Trigger covered, and she took charge inside the distance en route to a three-quarter-length triumph over the eye-catching newcomer Hans Anderson. The Group 3 Silver Flash Stakes at Leopardstown later this month could be next for her.

Seamie Heffernan also got amongst the winners aboard the Shane Crawley-trained Karlsberg (9/1) in the fillies’ handicap over an extended seven furlongs.

This Seamus Finucane-owned and -bred four-year-old relished the switch back to slow ground as she got home by half a length from Mean Fomhair after racing on the pace throughout.

KEN Condon’s decision to field two runners in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race was rewarded with a one-two as the Shane Foley-ridden Moss Tucker outpointed Quarantine Dreams by a neck.

Fresh from a fine fifth off a mark of 96 in Sunday’s Rockingham at the Curragh, the Charlie Bit Me Syndicate-owned Moss Tucker was returned the 11/10 favourite. The four-year-old was vying for the lead from around halfway and kept on determinedly to fend off his stablemate and take his tally at this track to three wins and two placings from five outings.

“We’ve asked him to run two quick races before as he is a very relaxed horse and is very tough,” observed Condon, who could now give his charge a break. “He is very likeable, has got better with racing and has a good record at this track. Shane said he was always holding them there.”

Shane Foley brought up a double as Spring Morning struck for trainer Yvonne Latta in the first division of the 47-65 rated handicap over an extended mile and a half. On her first flat outing since running an encouraging third at this track in April 2021, the 18/1 chance left the form of her recent hurdles outings well behind.

Foley elected to plough a lone furrow down the near side of the track in the straight and those tactics paid dividends as Spring Morning swept to the front late on for a cosy two-length victory over Beer With The Boys. The winner is owned by her breeder William Powell-Harris and could turn out again at Killarney the week after next.

The other division of that 47-65 rated handicap went to Jarlath Fahey as Whatcouldhavebeen (6/1) built on some encouraging efforts in defeat in recent weeks. The Leigh Roche-ridden four-year-old got on top over the course of the last furlong for a near two-length triumph over Litteratus.

JOEY Sheridan’s evening began with a narrow defeat on Quarantine Dreams but he enjoyed better luck when teaming up with Aristovic to land the three-year-old nine-furlong handicap.

In the colours of her breeder David Spratt, who owns her in partnership with Kevin McMunigal, the winner didn’t look to be going at all as well as Linger For Longer approaching the last furlong. The well-backed 13/2 shot dug in splendidly under pressure though to carry the day by a neck.

The last of the evening’s three sprint races went to Martin Hassett and Scott McCullagh as Harry’s Hill (12/1) produced a nice effort to bag the 47-70 rated apprentice riders’ handicap over five furlongs, which got underway 10 minutes late after Tai Sing Yeh (fourth) spread a plate beforehand.

A low draw meant that Harry’s Hill had to race on the far side but this mattered little as he was closely involved from some way out before sustaining his effort to edge out the recent Sligo winner Inventor by a short head.

This was a third career success for the soft-ground-loving, Tipp Ramblers Syndicate-owned four-year-old.