Bahoochie gives Latham a change of luck
In his third season in Ireland, Latham has been a bit overshadowed by Johnny Murtagh in Ger Lyons’ plans in recent weeks but grabbed his opportunity here on the Moss Vale filly, completing an across-the-card juvenile double for Lyons, successful with the Murtagh-ridden Greek Canyon in the opener at Cork.
Stepping-up on her debut run at Navan, Muckle Bahoochie made all, shook off the attentions of odds-on favourite Danziger and then held the late surge of Rockview Diamond by a length.
A delighted Lyons explained: “I’ve always thought she was a listed filly and couldn’t believe she ran so badly at Navan. She came back with sore shins but has been going well again since. I would have been gutted if she got beaten again tonight. I told her owner she was a listed filly and she’ll get an entry for the Marble Hill at the Curragh next weekend.”
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Sun Queen, a daughter of Storm Cat, made it fourth time lucky when earning a valuable bracket in the five-furlong Irish Stallion Farms Maiden.
Ridden by Seamus Heffernan, she edged past front-running Marvada soon after the two-furlong pole and kept on strongly to hold that rival’s persistent challenge by a half-length. Heffernan said: “She’s a nice, genuine, fast filly. I was confident that she’d be too good for them and didn’t want to give her a hard race. Hopefully, she’ll win again and it would be a bonus if she could pick up some black type.”
A double for Ballydoyle was foiled when the Colm O’Donoghue ridden President Lincoln was collared inside the final furlong and beaten by the Mick Halford-trained filly Devonelli, produced with a perfectly-timed challenge by apprentice Conor Hoban.
