Bandari pulls plug on rivals
His victory in the Group Two Princess Of Wales’s cantorodds.com Stakes was the 10th of his career and his fifth in a Pattern race.
“We put the earplugs in two hours before the race and they obviously had the right effect because he was quiet as a mouse in the parade and went to post without turning a hair,” said winning rider Richard Hills.
Bandari (12-1) dug deep to outbattle 11-8 favourite Sulamani with a strong late surge and score by half a length.
High Accolade kept on to finish a further two and a half lengths away in third, with the well-backed Magistretti a never-nearer fourth.
Bandari is now set to bid for the Group One success that has eluded him thus far in his career when he goes for the King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Ascot on July 24.
Ladbrokes took Sulamani out of their betting for the King George, but other bookmakers offer him at around the 8-1 mark.
Bandari, just 12-1 with Ladbrokes, is available at 16-1 with Coral, William Hill and Paddy Power and 20-1 with Cashmans.
lCork-born David Condon is hitting a rich vein of form at the moment and he partnered a well-executed double at Naas last evening.
He got the ball rolling in the opening sprint handicap on Mrs St George, who was brought with a well-timed run to beat Tubbertown Rose by a neck.
Condon’s brace was completed on Eye Candy, who stayed on well to prevail in the mile and a half handicap.
The winner, who is trained by Sandra McCarthy and her husband Peter, indicated that the Princely Heir gelding would be campaigned over hurdles later on this year, but could run in another flat handicap at Galway.
Kevin Prendergast saddled a double. The well-supported Yaria landed some hefty bets when she beat the newcomer Trueheart in the two-year-old maiden, and the double was landed when Asanine came good under a polished ride from Brian Hughes in the fillies maiden.
Grand Reward came late under Jamie Spencer to land the six-furlong conditions race for Aidan O’Brien.
