Last-gasp double for O’Brien
Snap Alam defied top-weight in the Pinnacle Handicap, with O’Brien forced to bide his time behind a wall of horses in the straight until unleashing a storming late challenge which saw the blinkered four-year-old nab front-running Smoky Cloud close home for a half-length win.
The Joanna Morgan-trained winner received a strong drive from O’Brien inside the final furlong, enough to see him in trouble with the Stewards, who found him guilty of not allowing his mount time to respond to his whip-use. A one-day ban was imposed.
O’Brien left it late again on Monte Carlo, trained by his father Aidan and carrying the colours of Michael Tabor, in the ITBA (South-East Region) Supporting Wexford Maiden.
The 9/4 favourite appeared to be travelling strongly on the heels of the leaders turning for home. But O’Brien was forced to switch wide to mount his challenge and Monte Carlo, a Montjeu colt having only his third run, stayed on strongly to catch Clonbur close home.
A head separated them at the line and O’Brien admitted: “He didn’t handle the track and became unbalanced early in the straight. But he picked up well when I got him to the outside. He’s still quite green and should continue to improve.”
Joanna Morgan, trainer of Snap Alam, completed an across-the-card double when Nina Carberry partnered 5/2 favourite Brough Academy to victory in the bumper in Kilbeggan.
Edward O’Grady emulated that achievement, saddling the controversial The Real Article to land the three-runner Gorey Race in the hands of Corky Carroll, quickly followed by the belated win of Rocco’s Hall (Andrew McNamara) in the beginners chase in Kilbeggan.
Forced to make the running, The Real Article justified 4/9 favouritism, beating Benefit Of Porter readily under hands and heels riding. O’Gtrady confirmed that the six-year-old, fourth in the Galway Hurdle last time, will have his next outing at the Listowel Festival next month, probably in the valuable handicap hurdle.
Pat Smullen made all to land the opening two-year-old fillies maiden on Cloudracer, the Rail Link filly stretching clear to slam odds-on favourite Criostal by seven lengths, prompting Smullen to comment: “She learned from her debut run at the Curragh and won nicely enough, but it was an ordinary contest.”
Shu Lewis, successful at the Punchestown Festival, followed-up in the mares bumper, coming home strongly under Linzi Dowdall-Blake (niece of winning trainer Monica) to beat the favourite Kilbarry Classic emphatically.
Ronan Whelan registered his fifteenth success of the season when the Paul Flynn trained Rusty Halo got up to beat front-running Gudnis Gracious Me in the Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap.
Barry Geraghty, in treble form at Bellewstown on Thursday, struck again when the Tony Martin-trained Asymmetrical, stepping-up to three miles, proved best in Kilbeggan’s Pat Doyle Memorial Maiden Hurdle.
But it was Andrew Leigh who earned the Kilbeggan plaudits, completing a double on Willie Austin’s Burma Rock in the opening maiden hurdle and Roberto Goldback’s half-brother Substitute, trained by John Carr, in the first division of the Kinnegad Handicap Hurdle.
Also in Kilbeggan, Ballinrobe-based trainer Michael Flannery continued his rich vein of form when Davy Russell partnered Riotman to victory in the second division of the same race.
* Trainer Thomond O’Mara found himself in hot water with the Wexford Stewards following an altercation with a security officer and a further incident with officials in the weigh-room. O’Mara was fined €1,000 and reminded that a reoccurrence of such behaviour may “render him liable to referral to the licensing committee.”
