Dolmur earns crack at Classic
This four-runner affair was run at a muddling pace and developed into a sprint.
Battle hardened Dolmur, clearly relishing the soft ground, got the better of Icklingham by a neck to complete a double for jockey Seamus Heffernan.
“That didn’t tell us much,” said trainer Mullins, “I hope he’ll make the grade in Group class this season and, if the ground is soft we’ll go for the Irish 2000 Guineas.
“He has done well over the winter for a horse that ran a lot in a short time last autumn.
“He was probably over the top when he ran in the Horris Hill at Newbury.”
A length separated the quartet nearing the furlong pole but Dolmur’s experience, and the strength of Heffernan, proved crucial.
Earlier Heffernan also needed all of his strength when getting Septimus Severus home a narrow winner of the opening maiden for his boss Aidan O’Brien.
Having edged ahead with a furlong and a half to race, this favourite was tiring close home and held the late challenge of Uncle Tiny by only a head.
Blue Reema proved the most impressive winner of the day when quickening clear in the final furlong to win the fillies’ maiden for Curragh Michael Halford and former champion apprentice Tadhg O’Shea.
And Eamonn ‘Dusty’ Sheehy recorded a rare flat success when 33/1 shot Guby’s Star, ridden by apprentice Olive Gaule, short headed favourite Definate Spectacle in the Avonmore Milk Plus Handicap.
Curragh trainer Michael Grassick travelled to Gowran and missed his first ever treble achieved at Navan thanks to the work of stable jockey Niall McCullagh on La Tintoretta, Crimphill and Cayteva.
Crimphill is likely to run in the Savel Beg Stakes at Leopardstown following her victory over her younger rivals in the listed Salsabil fillies’ stakes.
This five-year-old, which beat Canouan, proved the middle leg of the Grassick-McCullagh treble initiated when La Tintoretta got up close home to foil favourite Peratus in the Coolmore Spinning World Maiden.
And Cayteva, running in her first handicap, completed a fine day’s work for the stable when winning the first division of the Ultimate Security Technologies Handicap and might bid for a quick follow up at Ballinrobe on Thursday.
Another trainer in top form was Tom McCourt who registered his first flat double.
Course and distance winner Raining proved a run away winner of the Ireland Welcomes Australia Handicap while Rainbow Dash, formerly trained in England by Michael Stoute, benefited from Pat Cosgrave’s driving to beat Splendour in the Navan Racecourse family day race.
Moon Unit, trained by Harry Rogers, overcame her aversion to starting stalls and a tardy start to out point the experienced Follow and Charmed Forest in a blanket finish to the Coolmore King Charlemagne fillies’ Maiden.
