Blanco a Cape of good hope for O’Brien
Successful on his debut at Fairyhouse, the Galileo colt, strongly supported all day and sent off a red-hot 1/2 favourite, made all under Johnny Murtagh before stretching clear to slam Marfach by three and a half lengths, prompting Boylesports to quote him at 25/1 for the 2010 Stan James 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket.
Only time will tell whether Cape Blanco can follow the example of recent ‘Tyros’ winners Teofilo, New Approach and Rip Van Winkle. But Johnny Murtagh declared: “He has a chance of being a proper horse” after dismounting the Derrick Smith-owned colt.
Murtagh added: “He’s a colt with a great temperament and an engine. He was very green first time at Fairyhouse, but still managed to win and Seamie (Heffernan) was mad about him. He learned plenty that day and his work has improved nicely since then. I expected him to win.
“He did it very well. I’m not sure where Aidan will go with him but I’ll be looking forward to riding him again.”
Murtagh and O’Brien completed a double when favourite Moon Indigo, winner of his maiden at Killarney last week, made virtually all the running to win the concluding Racing Rocks At Leopardstown Handicap, emerging victorious by a neck after a rousing duel with the Michael Kinane-ridden Big Game Hunter. It was Murtagh’s 49th win of the domestic season.
Casual Conquest, placed in the Epsom and Irish Derbys last year and winner of the Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup in May, was sent off 8/13 favourite for the Group 3 Meld Stakes but came up short, finishing only third behind Pat Flynn’s remarkable mare She’s Our Mark and the veteran Lord Admiral.
Having flattered with a furlong and a half to race, Casual Conquest could find no more, his trainer Dermot Weld later commenting: “The ten stone told and Pat said he got very tired going to the line.”
Pat Flynn was not present to see She’s Our Mark record her third win of the season. But his assistant Martin Maguire was enthusiastic in his praise of the five-year-old Ishiguru mare. “She’s amazing, fantastic. She’s just getting better all the time. She’s as tough as nails and looks as if she’d get further than ten furlongs. I’m not sure what Pat has in mind for her, although he has mentioned the ‘Hurry Harriet’ at Gowran. She could go to France later on, for the soft ground.”
She’s Our Mark, sold as a yearling by Con Marnane for €12,000, got the better of Casual Conquest before holding the late surge of eight-year-old Lord Admiral and Michael Kinane by the minimum margin.
Earlier, the Paul Deegan-trained Bobbyscot showed a commendable attitude when making virtually all and staying on to beat Reggae Rock in the seven-furlong Irish Stallion Farms Median Auction 2-Y-0 Maiden.
Ridden by Willie Supple, the tough Alhaarth colt came wide in search of better ground on the home turn and, having been joined by Mujaazef, kept finding for Supple to open his account, at the fourth attempt.
Deegan said: “That was deserved, although I was a little worried about the ground. he doesn’t like extremes. But he’s tough and progressive, a nice, straight-forward colt. He only does enough in front, but he’ll stay further than this seven furlongs.”
Trainer Cormac Farrell, based in Bunclody, County Wexford, savoured the second win of his career, and his fist on the flat, when 20/1 shot Mountain Mama got the better of longshot Green Utopia in the Tattersalls Irelands 2-Y-0 Fillies Maiden.
The Mujadil filly is owned by the four-member Alcotoro Partnership, which includes the trainer, and was bought for just €1,500 at the Tattersalls Foal Sale.
