Bushranger does the business in style
He was given a tremendous ride by in-form Wayne Lordan, who waited at the back for much of the journey.
Once he set alight the Danetime colt, however, the response was immediate and Bushranger quickened away in the closing stages.
“He’s in the Heinz, the Morny, he’s in everything”, said trainer, David Wachman.
“The owners have a lot of horses, so we will have to see what they want to do. Wayne is riding great, he keeps it simple and makes very few mistakes.”
Gamble of the contest was Aidan O’Brien’s Westphalia. Taken as high as 15-8 in the morning, it was 11-10 to 4-5 on track.
But he looked far from a star when winning his maiden here and was always playing second fiddle to the impressive winner when the fight began to truly rage.
Wachman and Lordan completed a double when Navajo Moon came late and fast to win the Listed Kilboy Estate Stakes.
Produced with impeccable timing Navajo Moon found plenty to resist the late surge of Jalmira. Said Wachman: “She’s a valuable filly, being by Danehill. She always promsied to be this level and and is in loads of races, Listed and Group 3.”
Kevin Prendergast’s Driving Snow redeemed the promise of his debut third at Gowran Park when taking the Jebel Ali Stables and Racecourse EBF Maiden.
It looked a decent enough effort as well, although the trainer seemed less than impressed. Commented Prendergast: “He stayed at it well and will probably go for a winners’ of one, but will have to improve on that to progress.”
Chris Hayes drove the son of Verglas ahead inside the furlong pole to beat a trio of newcomers, Black Bear Island, Freemantle and Sea The Stars.
The first pair are trained by Aidan O’Brien, Sea The Stars by John Oxx, and it wouldn’t take a huge leap of faith to envisage them losing their maiden tags sooner rather than later.
Driving Snow is owned by Lady O’Reilly and she also had her colours carried to victory, Hayes was again in the plate, when Dandy Nicholls’ Masta Plasta landed the Ladbrokes Rockingham Handicap.
A major order in the ring, the five-year-old ran fast throughout, towards the outside of the field. From a furlong down it was no contest, as he stretched away to beat Le Cadre Noir a cosy length and three parts.
Nicholls didn’t make the journey across, which was disappointing, because his after-race comments can often be quite colourful!
The Noel Meade-trained Miss Fancy Pants took the Thalgo Ladies Derby with any amount in hand for Nina Carberry.
“I had a bonus up my sleeve”, exclaimed Meade. “Nina is probably the best lady amateur rider in the world!”
The grey daughter of Act One absolutely cantered past the flattering The Last Hurrah with less than a furlong to run to ease clear and score by three and a half lengths.
“We had the GPT at Galway in mind for her, but will have to see what he (handicapper) does”, said Meade.
“She’s also in the Galway Hurdle, so could go for both.”
The find of the season, Danny Mullins, was superb on Frank Ennis’ Barack in the first nursery of the season, guiding the colt to a short head and the same victory over Optimal Power and Progreso.
Mullins was, however, suspended for one day for using his whip with excessive force and frequency.
Billy Lee swept through late on Charlie Swan’s Varsity to beat Jumbo Rio in the This Time Tomorrow Handicap.
