Rochford wins battle of the ladies
The Sheikh Mohammed-owned Invincible Spirit filly reversed Curragh form with the runner-up, as the leading duo stretched four lengths clear of the remainder.
Lyons explained: “Keagan was fuming after she ran into all sorts of trouble in the Curragh. And he was confident that wherever Lady Wingshot finished tonight, our filly would be bang there.
“This filly has a lot of natural ability, but is a bit temperamental. She enjoys juice in the ground and seems to be more relaxed about racing than she was for her first run here.”
The earlier two-year-old colts’ maiden, for newcomers, went to the David Wachman-trained Captain Obvious which proved too strong for Qatar’s Pearl and Strait Of Zanzibar.
The winning trainer was not present, but commented by phone: “He’s a nice colt that has always gone well at home. He’ll step-up in grade and will appreciate going seven furlongs.”
Captain Obvious was the first leg of a double for Wayne Lordan, completed when Colour Of Love, in the colours of the GAA Legends Syndicate, finished strongly to deny Eagle Canyon and Jambalaya in the seven-furlong jogforjockeys.ie Handicap.
First-time blinkers clearly made a difference to the La Vie De Calori filly, with trainer Willie McCreery admitting: “She ran a good third to Rose Bonheur here, but looked a little bit wayward in her last two runs. We decided to try her in blinkers, and they definitely helped her concentrate.”
Ucanchoose made all to land the six-furlong handicap, holding on by a neck from fellow co-favourite Acushladear to land a tidy gamble, having been backed from 10/1 to 6/1. Showing plenty of speed and racing up the centre of the course on the rain-softened ground, Ucanchoose (Declan McDonogh) had his rivals in trouble at half-way and won’t be inconvenienced by dropping back to the minimum trip in Tipperary.
Winning rider McDonogh was subsequently fined €200 for crossing in front of his rivals before the marker-poles.
The Jim Bolger-trained Baitsileir improved dramatically on his debut effort at Limerick to prove a facile winner of the one-mile Panormaic Restaurant Maiden, forging clear under Kevin Manning to beat Mafi by four lengths.
“That was timely,” stated Bolger afterwards, “He’s off to the Sales in Newmarket in the morning.”
The Luke Comer-trained Tajweed, ridden by in-form Shane Foley, proved a surprise 14/1 winner of the concluding Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap, making most of the running and staying on up the hill to beat Rocky’s Pride by a length and three-quarters.
Owen Weldon, representing winning trainer Luke Comer, commented: “He won twice, from the front in England (for Mark Johnston), and we’ve probably been riding him wrong all along. He works like a good horse and everything fell right for him tonight. He needs cut in the ground and might run again in Fairyhouse on Sunday.”
* Apprentices Ronan Whelan and Seamus Cronin were each suspended for two race-days, Whelan for careless riding on Jimbalaya in the seven-furlong handicap and Cronin for using his whip with excessive frequency on Blue Law in the six-furlong handicap won by Ucanchoose.
