Gitano passes Diamond test
Sent off 9/10 favourite, the Marco Botti-trained chestnut was trapped behind a wall of horses until switching to the outside approaching the furlong pole. Asked to quicken, the four-year-old quickly tackled Wade Giles, edged ahead and won, snugly, by a neck.
Both trainer Botti and Fallon were recording their first success at Dundalk. Botti declared: “I’m really pleased, because he was not 100% fit and will improve a lot from the run. Kieren didn’t have to hit him with his stick and told me there was plenty left under him at the finish.”
Quizzed about immediate plans for Gitano Hernando, he replied: “He’s in the Champion Stakes, which comes up soon, but he did not have a hard race here and we might take a chance, once the ground is not too soft. ”
Fallon enthused: “He’s a lazy worker at home and hasn’t been showing us much. I was worried for a while, when I was stuck behind a wall of horses. But he picked up really well and won easily.”
Fran Berry took the riding honours, completing a handicap double on the David Marnane-trained Buatoeir in the Tony Cleary Handicap and the progressive Bob Le Beau, trained by Jessica Harrington, in the Damien Dempsey Live After Racing Handicap.
After guiding Bob Le Beau to victory, Berry commented: “He was hanging and on the wrong leg turning in so I let him come up the middle of the track. He stayed going well and is improving all the time. He ran flat in Tipperary the last day, but was back on song tonight. He’ll make a lovely staying horse next year.”
Ger Lyons will consider bringing Posh Cracker back to Dundalk for a listed fillies event next Friday following the daughter of Johannesburg’s decisive victory over Roman Flame in the Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Fillies Maiden. Lyons said: “She showed plenty in the spring and I probably got at her too soon. We gave her a break after two runs and decided to wait for here. At home, other two-year-olds can’t take her off the bridle. We tried a tongue-tie today and dropped her in. It worked and she’ll be back here next week, if she’s okay.”
Joseph O’Brien is seven behind joint-leaders Gary Carroll and Ben Curtis in the apprentice championship race, having produced the Pat Flynn-trained Connyella fast and late to snatch the concluding Irish Times Handicap from Sovento in a blanket-finish.
At Gowran Park, the Joanna Morgan-trained Jigalo, making a quick reappearance after finishing third at Roscommon on Monday, landed a tidy gamble (4/1 to 5/2 favourite) in the ITBA & Gain Horse Feeds Handicap Chase.
Davy Condon oozed confidence on the nine-year-old, sitting virtually motionless throughout as Morgan’s charge came through smoothly to beat Banna Man by three and half lengths, prompting his trainer to comment: “He’s not a bad horse on his day and jumps great, but he’s quirky. He lost interest in jumping hurdles and the run over fences in Roscommon sweetened him up a bit.”
The Colin Bowe-trained mare Askanna retained her unbeaten record when adding victory in the ITBA South East Region Hurdle to her two point-to-point and two bumper successes. The five-year-old Old Vic mare had to fight hard to see off Tilabay and was described by her trainer as “very tough”.
Robert Tyner’s string has struck form and the long-awaited chasing debut of Pay The Bounty proved successful when he justified support (11/2 to 7/2) in the ITBA-sponsored beginners chase, forging clear on the run-in to beat market-rival Coast by three lengths.
Tyner said: “He just wasn’t right last season but chasing was always going to be his game. He jumped great, travelled and finished his race better than before. I thought he might need the run, but he won well and will improve from it. He’ll have no problem stepping-up in trip.”
