Apprentice title battle goes down to the wire
As the County Louth track beat the big-freeze, Carroll edged ahead when scoring on Kalann in Saturday’s finale and stretched two clear when Sampers recorded her third course success yesterday.
But Curtis responded strongly, completing a double on Valbonne and Home Secretary, joining Carroll on the 39-winner mark, four clear of Joseph O’Brien, with just two meetings remaining, at Dundalk, on Wednesday and Friday of this week.
The Michael Halford trained Sampers has recorded each of her three career wins on Ireland’s only polytrack surface and, sent off 2/1 favourite, wore down front-running market rival Calm Bay inside the final furlong to land the Group Bookings At Dundalk Stadium Race by a length and a quarter.
Halford declared: “That’s great for Gary. He’s a hell of a good rider and works hard. It’s been very tough for him all year, claiming 3lb.” He added: “This filly loves it around here and likes coming from a fast pace, so the race worked out fine for her. All being well, she’ll come back here o Friday and will stay in training next year.”
In response to Carroll’s success, Curtis brought the John Murphy trained Valbonne from off the pace to cause a 16/1 shock in the first division of the Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Fillies Maiden.
The daughter of Refuse To Bend, an unconsidered 16/1 chance on a day when a Jackpot pool of €18,871 eluded punters, hit the front early in the final furlong to beat Maggie Neary by a length and a half with the flattering Elusive Express third.
Curtis completed his double when Home Secretary, a dual-winner on the track last in November of last year, justified strong support (5/1 to 7/2 joint-favourite) in the finale, the www.dundalkstadium.com Handicap.
The race developed into a battle between the title aspirants as Home Secretary got the better of the Carroll-ridden Dark Prospect by a length, prompting winning trainer Garvan Donnelly to admit: “I had this race in mind for him for a while. A mile and a half stretches him a bit in this better company, so the drop back in trip compensated for the couple of pounds that he was out of the handicap.
“He’s tough and consistent and has had a long enough season. I don’t think there’s anything left for him here during the week, so I suppose he’ll go back over hurdles.”
Earlier, Curtis went tantalisingly close on the Pat Martin-trained Crystal Belle in the Christmas Parties At Dundalk Nursery, the recent course winner failing by the narrowest margin to the Mick Hussey-ridden 14/1 Bendzoldan.
Both riders were subsequently in trouble with the Stewards, Hussey picking up a one-day ban for using his whip with excessive frequency and Curtis receiving a severe caution for careless riding.
Bendozoldan is trained by Tom Cleary, who explained: “He was a bit unlucky the last day and it’s great to win with him. We brought the horses up on Friday. So they’re well settled-in and rested. Mick gave this fellow a great, strong ride. We might come back again on Wednesday with him.”
