Bolger takes honours with Gowran double
Without a win since landing a nursery on this track in 2008, Scandal Sheet built on a solid recent run at the Curragh to justify 15/8 favouritism after a protracted duel with front-running Final Flashback, which she beat by a neck, the pair pulling seven lengths clear of the third, Big Robert.
Bolger commented: “She was a pretty good two-year-old, but lost her way last year. And she has been slow to come to hand this year. But she’s getting her act together now. We’ll see what the handicapper does, but I expect we’ll be edging towards getting some black type for her.”
Champion apprentice Gary Carroll, rider of the runner-up Final Flashback, was found guilty of using his whip with excessive frequency and severely cautioned by the Stewards.
In contrast to Scandal Sheet’s win, the Bolger double was initiated by 20/1 shot Saoi, the stable-string, in the seven-furlong opener, Davy Moran’s mount proving too strong in the closing stages for Yes Missus and his Kevin Manning-ridden stable-companion Purple Land.
The length and a half winner is a son of Wiseman’s Ferry. And his trainer admitted: “He’s been showing enough for us to know that he wasn’t too bad. But I thought he’d need his first run and that seven furlongs might be a bit short for him. I’m not sure where he'll go. We’ll probably see what mark he gets.”
Brittany, trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Seamus Heffernan, proved a successful odds-on favourite in the one-mile Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Maiden.
The Montjeu colt made all, stretched clear with more than a furlong to race before beating eye-catching stable-companion Enchanted Forest by a length and a half.
Heffernan summed up his feelings about the winner: “He’s nice and stays well.”
Another successful odds-on favourite was the John Oxx-trained Romie's Kastett, a Halling filly, which progressed from her debut run at the Curragh to slam her rivals in the Irish Stallion Farms Fillies Maiden, powering clear inside the final furlong to beat Dermot Weld's debutante Key Secure by five lengths.
“She’s a half-sister to Norse Dancer, which was placed in the ’King George’ and is a promising filly,” stated Oxx’s assistant Jim O'Neill. “She’ll go handicapping for now, but could keep improving. And she should stay a mile and a half.”
Trainer Myles Sunderland enjoyed a welcome victory when joint-favourite By The Sea, ridden by Sean Levey, proved best in the Castlecomer Apprentice Handicap, getting the better of front-running Philosophers Guest.
Sunderland commented: “I’m delighted for the owners (the Horsin Around Syndicate, comprising the Teahan family), who have been great supporters of the yard since I started seven years ago. This mare deserved a change of luck and was unlucky the last day.”
Jim Gorman’s string has been gradually returning to form over the last fortnight. And Rockin N Reelin, enterprisingly ridden by Chris Hayes, added to his slowly growing seasonal tally when landing the concluding Freshford Handicap by seven lengths from Man In Black.
As persistent rain continued, causing the watered ground on the inside to become cut-up, Gorman and Hayes devised a tactical plan, as the trainer explained: “We decided that the best ground was wide, where they hadn’t watered. And Chris used his initiative, by going very wide.
“He kicked on. And the horse kept going well. He’s in at Killarney on Monday and, if he’s okay, he’ll go there, because I’d say the handicapper will have a swipe at him after this.”
