Dandy’s the Man as he puts up scintillating display of sprinting
Turning out just 12 days after a cracking performance at Royal Ascot, Con Collins’ son of Mozart showed no ill effects.
At Ascot, he was drawn on the unfavourable far side of the track in the King’s Stand Stakes, and ran a blinder, against insurmountable odds to finish a close fourth behind Australian ace Takeover Target.
“That is a lot of relief, we don’t normally bring horses back so quickly”, exclaimed Tracey Collins, representing her father.
Osterhase tried to make all, but Dandy Man was always travelling sweetly in his slipstream. Pat Shanahan, only recently returned from long-term injury - he was out for eight months - launched his challenge at the furlong pole.
Dandy Man did the rest, powering into the lead to beat Benbaun a very comfortable length.
It was a bad result for the layers, 9-4 taken in the morning and from 6-4 to 5-4 on track.
Commented Ms Collins: “He told us he was ready to run again, he is an easy horse to train and has a massive constitution.
“A break is on the cards now and then it will be the Nunthorpe (York).”
Time may well reveal that the Group Two Anheuser Busch Adventure Parks Railway Stakes was a particularly smart juvenile contest.
Victory went to Aidan O’Brien’s Holy Roman Emperor, who mugged Tommy Stack’s Drayton in the last hundred yards with Neville Callaghan’s highly regarded English invader, Excellent Art, well held in third.
Holy Roman Emperor made a big impression first time up at Leopardstown, but then looked all at sea at Royal Ascot when a poor 15th of 21 behind Hellvelyn.
Explained O’Brien: “He probably learned very little at Leopardstown and then drifted to the middle of the track at Ascot. Kieran (Fallon) came in and said he would leave that run behind.”
And leave it behind he did, emphatically, quickening in style through the final furlong to cut down the front-running Drayton, who emerged with reputation enhanced.
“He picked up really nicely and is a powerful two-year-old”, remarked O’Brien.
“He will step up now and go for something like the Heinz.”
Kevin Prendergast got off the mark for the Festival when Taqseem put up a game display to beat Bonus a hard fought head in the John Roarty Memorial Scurry Handicap, after the pair dominated from the furlong pole.
“Two days gone and I didn’t even have a placed horse, I was starting to worry”, admitted Prendergast.
“I don’t know where he will go next. He’s run off 93 here, so it may have to be a Listed race.”
Tadhg O’Shea, who was aboard second placed The Last Hurrah, was suspended for three days after being found guilty of careless riding.
Declan McDonogh partnered Taqseem and he and Prendergast combined for a double when Mustameet ran away with the Netjets Celebration Stakes.
He travelled sweetly throughout, easing on with less than a furlong to go to score unextended by a whopping four lengths.
The winner did edge to his right in the closing stages, but there was never going to be a change in placings, after the stewards went through the motions.
“He’s just getting better”, said Prendergast. “He’s had plenty of injuries and broke down twice. I have no plans, but will probably have to step him up a grade.”
John Egan, riding out of his skin, gave Telemachus a super drive to take the Arthur Guinness EBF Handicap, to follow up his success at headquarters on Friday night.
Egan weaved his way through, from what looked an unpromising position, in the straight to lead inside the furlong pole and score by a neck.
“He will go to Galway and will be put in several races, including the Galway Hurdle”, said trainer, Noel Meade.
“I have no voice left”, admitted Mary Rose Hayes, after watching her Bush Maiden take the Budweiser Guinness Handicap.
She does well with a relatively small string and is the wife of former showjumping international, Seamus.
Tadhg O’Shea pushed the winner ahead with over a furlong to run and Bush Maiden was always holding Absolute Image, scoring by three parts of a length.
“We might try for some black type now”, said Hayes.
Zeroberto, narrowly beaten in the race a year ago, went one better when beating Truly Gold a short head in a titanic tussle for the Waterford Crystal Handicap.
“I am delighted for Shane Gorey (rider), he carried out his instructions to the letter”, commented trainer, Dermot Weld.
“I would say Zeroberto will now head for the Galway Hurdle.”
Weld also saddled Ansar to take third place and confirmed he is on target for another tilt at the Galway Plate, a race he has won twice before.
