O’Brien scripts it just right on Hemingway
Sent off 5/2 second favourite, the son of Galileo was soon in front and dictated the pace over a distance of almost a mile and three furlongs, forging clear in the final two furlongs to win in the style of an exciting middle-distance prospect.
Ernest Hemingway’s debut success came two days before a clutch of informative classic trials at Leopardstown tomorrow. Winning rider Joseph O’Brien commented: “He’s a nice colt. He knew his job, but should improve from this experience. My sister Ana rides him out at home and told me this morning that’s he’d win.”
Following his armchair ride on Ernest Hemingway, which holds entries in both the English and Irish Derbys, Joseph needed all of his strength to get Ahimsa, a home-bred Holy Roman Emperor, owned by his mother, up close home to foil front-running Catfromtherock (Fergal Lynch) by a neck in the one-mile Crossmaglen All-Ireland Champions Maiden.
O’Brien commented: “It turned into a bit of a sprint, off a very slow pace. She’s a tough filly and kept finding for me. I always thought I would get there.”
Shane Foley continued in top form when producing recent course winner and top-weight Banna Boirche (carrying 10-3) fast and late to collar the Pat Smullen-ridden front-runner Elusive Ridge in the Crowne Plaza Race & Stay Package Handicap.
This was Banna Boirche’s eight win at Dundalk and delighted trainer Michael Halford stated: “He loves it around here. Shane (who has won six times on the horse) gets a great tune out of him.
“This was a good weight-carrying performance and I suppose we’ll have to try and break his duck on grass during the summer, over a mile, on fast ground.”
Apprentice Shane Gray stole the honours in the five-runner Dundalk Stadium On Facebook Handicap, dictating a slow pace on the Tommy Stack-trained Pivotal Rock, before holding the late surge of well-backed favourite Aquilonius (Kevin manning) by a head.
Winner of his maiden on the beach at Laytown last September, Pivotal Rock delighted Gray, who explained: “They let me have a handy lead. But, fair play to the horse, he kept quickening up the straight and stuck at it well. I was always confident we’d hold on.”
In the absence of his stable-companion Akasaka, the Eddie Lynam-trained Spin Of A Coin had no trouble justifying 4/11 favouritism in the opening three-runner claimer.
Ridden by apprentice Sam James, the four-year-old Oratorio gelding cruised clear to slam Baitsileir, effortlessly, by nine and a half lengths.
Trainer Lynam, never short of a smart comment, said: “I don’t think I’ve ever had such an easy winner. I know it was an ordinary race, but little fish are sweet,” before quipping, “Sam was absolutely wrecked coming in.”
In an unusual post-race scenario, three claims, each for €15,000, were received. Lots had to be drawn to decide which claim would be successful. That honour fell to Kate Deegan, wife of Curragh trainer Paul.
Irish Grand National hero last Monday, Andrew Thornton again proved his versatility in the saddle when producing Footprint, trained by Pat Martin, with a strong late challenge to land the finale, the six-furlong Racing At Dundalk Handicap, at the expense of Battleroftheboyne and top-weight Copper Dock.
Successful on the track in February and partnered again by apprentice Gary Phillips, the Garvan Donnelly-trained three-year-old Samollie bounced back to winning form when wearing down Refuse To Sell in the www.dundalkstadium.com Handicap. He’s likely to return to the track, under a mandatory penalty, on Wednesday night.
