Arctic earns crack at listed race
Despite missing the break, the Shamardal was soon disputing the lead and, in command soon after halfway, he kept going well to beat No Acting by a length, proving Curragh trainer Tracey Collins and veteran rider Pat Shanahan with a welcome change of luck.
“He’s a smart horse and we’ve always thought a lot of him,” stated the winning trainer. “He’s been ready to run for a while but had a few little problems. I suppose it was a big ask running him on such a tricky track first time and he’ll improve a lot from the run.
“We’ll keep to five furlongs, at least for the moment and he’ll go for the first listed five-furlong race at the Curragh (the Curragh Stakes on July 26).”
If Arctic was the equine star, Ruby Walsh delighted his legion of fans when, on only his second ride back after injury, he steered uneasy even-money favourite Dual Gales to an effortless win in the Seamus Murphy Balbriggan Retail Park Hurdle.
The champion, out of action since fracturing his left ankle in a fall in Killarney on May 10, allowed the Willie Mullins-trained gelding to stride into the lead a mile from home and he coasted home a comfortable winner from Auenschutze.
Winning trainer Mullins was not present. But Ruby, who pulled up his comeback ride Blame The Missus in the earlier handicap hurdle, commented: “It’s great to be back. That might have looked easy, but he was very free and it was a bit of a battle to get him settled. He relaxed a bit when we went to the front.”
Dual Gales is owned by the Killeedy Syndicate from the Cork/Limerick border and will now head for Galway.
Favourite-backers were also on the mark when April. Trained by Dermot Weld for his mother, belatedly opened her account in the five-furlong Irish Mirror Maiden.
Champion-jockey Pat Smullen bounced the Rock Of Gibraltar filly out of the stalls quickly and, having disputed the early lead, the 5/4 favourite readily brushed aside the challenge of Ajsaam soon after halfway before stretching clear to triumph by five lengths.
In the absence of winning trainer Weld, who is in American, Smullen commented: “It was a weak race and a good opportunity for her to earn a winning bracket. She got a bit unbalanced crossing the road, but she was well in command at that stage.”
Pat Hughes savoured his first win since Listowel last September when Raise The Goblet landed a minor gamble (20/1 to 12/1) in the Bamburys Bookmakers Amateur Race.
Ridden by Colin Motherway, the five-year-old English import (formerly with William Haggas) powered clear with two furlongs to race and beat disappointing favourite Equator by three and a half lengths.
A delighted Hughes admitted: “I had a few quid each-way on him at 25/1. So it’s good to be back in the winner’s enclosure. I was told when he came from England that he needs fast ground. But I think he’ll have no problem staying two miles and told Colin to make plenty of use of him. He’ll mix it over the next few weeks and I suppose he might turn up in Galway.”
In the other flat action, the Tommy Stack-trained Banji’s Babes opened his account when getting the better of Dactik in the one-mile median auction maiden.
The pair dominated and. although neither animal appeared enthusiastic about the task at hand in the final two furlongs, Wayne Lordan edged Benji’s Babes home by three quarters of a length.
Charles Byrnes struck with well-backed 4/1 favourite Third Level Tom, confidently handled by Davy Russell, in the Bellewstown Golfcourse Handicap Hurdle.
The eight-year-old came from the rear to lead before the second last flight and bolted up, beating Canitellyou by seven lengths.
Byrnes described the success as “badly wanted” before explaining: “The horse deserved it. But, win, lose or draw, today was his last chance over hurdles. Davy walked the track and thought the ground on the outside was a good bit better. That’s why he went wide all the way. We’ll go back chasing with this horse now.”
