Kay Two is A-1 for Pat and Frances
The son of Monashee Mountain showed tremendous battling qualities to beat the 10lbs receiving Coseadrom a short head.
The pair had a terrific tussle through the final furlong, with Smullen just forcing his charge ahead in the final stride.
Said Crowley: “He’s a good tough horse and will come back here in early October for a Listed race over five furlongs.”
Aidan O’Brien’s Falstaff got punters off on the right foot when taking the opening Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Maiden. His main market rival, King Of Tory, didn’t meet the engagement and the son of Montjeu was always an odds-on chance, finding 2-5 from 4-7.
He had a bit to do off the home turn, as Fuensanta made the best of her way home. But Falstaff found plenty for strong Seamus Heffernan pressure to forge ahead inside the furlong pole, as the promising John Oxx newcomer, Concert Party, stayed on to claim third spot.
Martina Doran, who trains 15 horses in Wexford, saddled 20-1 shot Violets Empire to take the second section of the same contest. Davy Condon sent the winner ahead over three furlongs out and the home-bred son of Second Empire galloped powerfully though the ground to score by four lengths.
Commented Doran: “That surprised me a bit, even though he has been doing good work.”
Condon completed a double with an armchair ride on Rathgowney Lad in the Tipperary Welcomes Haydock Member Handicap. Successful previously at Killarney, Rathgowney Lad forged clear with over a furlong to go and was eased in the closing stages to comfortably beat Beautiful Affair.
The featured Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fairy Bridge Stakes was won in good style by Kevin Prendergast’s 'second string', Queen Of Palms. She beat Fearn Royal a length, but it was no indication of her superiority, after Pat Shanahan had given the daughter of Desert Prince an easy time in the closing stages.
Carrying the colours of Anne Coughlan, made famous by Ridgewood Pearl in the Breeders’ Cup, Queen Of Palms eased ahead just inside the furlong pole, clearly handling the testing conditions far better than any of her rivals. Prendergast’s Takrice, favourite but a drifter in the market, flattered early in the straight, but soon faded to finish seventh.
Said Prendergast: “Queen Of Palms has to have that sort of ground and was working well. P. Shanahan is a good sub. Takrice was gross and needed the run.”
Declan McDonogh partnered Takrice, but enjoyed better luck when teaming up with Prendergast’s Coquette Rouge in the Irish Masiden Rated Race. This was a real slog over a mile and a half with the winner lasting it out far better than the opposition.
Coquette Rouge mastered market leader, Napoleon, early in the straight and found plenty for McDonogh to resist the persistent challenge of The Last Hurrah.
Pat Smullen, completing a double initiated on Kay Two, gave Harry Rogers’ Fit The Cove a very positive drive to take the South Tipperary Hospice Handicap. Smullen took the four-year-old into the lead long before the home turn and Fit The Cove galloped relentlessly through the ground to easily beat Onlyhavetokissme.
“I rode one other winner for Harry back when he started, but it seems a long time ago”, reported Smullen.
By the time the five furlongs Tipperary Co-op Hardware and Supermarket Maiden was run the ground was officially heavy.
Eventual winner, Belleinga, absolutely revelled in the conditions, shooting ahead over a furlong out for Padraig Beggy to score unextended by five lengths.
