Zabarajad scrapes home
The Invincible Spirit colt, turned over at an even shorter price in a Tipperary maiden last time, gave his supports plenty of anxious moments and needed all of Johnny Murtagh’s strength to mount his challenge inside the final furlong, before being slightly hampered by President Lincoln and getting up close home to snatch the spoils by a head.
Winning trainer Oxx commented: “I suppose he kept punters who backed him on the edge of their seats. But he won anyway and will hardly be rated 105 after this performance.
“They went pretty fast and I felt the pace would collapse. He stayed going well. But it’s hard to know where he’ll go now.”
Aidan O’Brien saddled three of the eight runners for the Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Maiden. They duly finished first, second and third, with victory going to the Colm O’Donoghue ridden second favourite Triumphant, which beat uneasy favourite Secretary Of State (8/11 to 11/8) with the gambled-on Mannheim (7/1 top 9/2) third.
Winning rider O’Donoghue said: “His first run helped him a lot. He’s tough and genuine and, the way he galloped to the line, he’ll stay further. He’s improving and a nice prospect.”
Joseph O’Brien, rider of Secretary Of State, went even closer to success when 61-rated Fairylike, in his mother’s colours, was pipped by the Fran Berry-ridden Night Singer in the Freshford Handicap.
“He finished third to Dubawi Gold in a maiden in Ayr last year and Ian Brennan, who used to ride for me, advised me to buy him,” explained trainer Adrian McGuinness, “He’s entered in both Leopardstown and Killarney next week and will probably run in the apprentice handicap at Leopardstown.”
Keagan Latham, successful in the famous colours of Sheikh Mohammed on Lady Rochford at Naas on Wednesday, repeated the dose when Printmaker, trained by his boss Ger Lyons, proved best in the Kilkenny Handicap, edging ahead inside the final furlong before holding the unlucky Elusive Award by a head.
Latham received enthusiastic praise from Lyons, who stated: “That was a perfect ride. The horse got caught out by the headwind at the Curragh the last day, so we decided on a change of tactics today.
“If the ground was firm when I got here, I was going to pull him out, but the rain arrived in time. He won well and deserves a crack at a big pot now, maybe the Topaz Mile in Galway.”
