Irish team move into clear lead
The home team enjoyed a decisive advantage after the first leg in Killarney on Sunday and, as he had done twice at the Kerry venue, Ruby Walsh earned maximum points when partnering the Tony Martin-trained Kniaz into second place behind Curragh Gem in the Handicap Chase last night.
The winner, trained by Joe Crowley and ridden by Johnny Allen, was not part of the challenge but Pearl Essence, trained by Dessie Hughes, provided the Irish riders with their first outright win of the series when landing the handicap hurdle under Philip Carberry, the 5/1 favourite getting the better of Coolnaharan, the mount of leading Aussie Paul Hamblin.
In the flat action, Dancing Sky, trained by Dermot Weld for the Moyglare Stud Farm, made most of the running to justify strong support in the opening juvenile maiden, always having the measure of favourite, Crown Key from halfway.
Aidan O’Brien, in sparkling form over the weekend, has few runners in Roscommon but his debutant De Laurentiis, a half brother to Acropolis, was backed from 9/4 to 6/4 for the Mile and a Half Maiden and looked a winner when edging ahead at the furlong pole.
But Niall McCullagh produced Love City with a strong late surge which saw her get up close home and foil the favourite by a head.
Champion apprentice elect, Chris Hayes, was on the mark again when Goose Island, trained by Pat Martin, captured the Elphin Handicap, while Davenport Milennium again proved costly in the Beginners Chase, the odds-on favourite failing to cope with the Cecil Ross-trained Lord Archie, which proved the stronger on the run-in for in-form rider Andrew McNamara.
