Early pace seals Select Stakes success for Riverside Oscar

Riverside Oscar secured the biggest victory of his career in Saturday night’s final of the Gain Dog Food Select Stakes in Kilcohan Park, Waterford.

Second-favourite behind kennel-companion and Laurels winner Skywalker Manner, the key to his race was beating that rival to the punch. It looked an onerous task but when his kennelmate fluffed his lines at the break, the 5-2 chance, trained by Graham Holland for Larry O’Rourke, had the rails pitch to himself.

And that proved pivotal, as he used the inside line to move past Quietly as they raced the opening bends. Clear down the back, the son of Knockglass Billy and Forrachmore was in command thereafter, and maintained his gallop to claim the €13,000 winner’s prize with a five-and-a-half-length victory over 20-1 outsider Alien Jet, in 28.42, with Burgess Popeye in third.