Foley chalks up another double
Successful on the double for Michael Halford in Dundalk on Sunday, Foley kicked off on board Andy Oliver’s Uleavemebeathless, which built on the promise of her recent debut run at the Curragh to win the opening two-year-old maiden.
The Tiger Hill filly overcame a tardy start and was settled in mid-division by Foley before challenging down the outside to assert inside the final furlong and beat favourite Cocktail Hour by two lengths.
Oliver, enjoying a tremendous season, explained: “She’s still very green and started slowly today. But she has always shown plenty at home and is a good filly. I was toying with the idea of running her in the Moyglare, but I’ve already supplemented Sendmylovetorose for it. So this filly will go for a listed race at the Curragh in two weeks (the Flame Of Tara Stakes) and we’ll take it from there.’
Foley followed-up when partnering the Ken Condon-trained, 96-rated Macbeth to an all-the-way victory in the mile-and-a-half Boyle Race. The Acclamation gelding stayed on stoutly to beat 8/13 shot Show Court, a third favourite to finish second on the night for the Weld/Smullen partnership, by two and threequarter lengths.
A relieved Ken Condon said: “He disappointed in his last two races and we tried him in a tongue-tie tonight, which made a big difference. He idled a bit up the straight but kept going. He has an entry in the Irish St. Leger and could go there, or he might go to Listowel for a mile-and-a-half listed race.”
Earlier, Fran Berry extricated the Charlie Swan-trained Grandma Dotty from a pocket on the rail and got her up in the dying strides to foil the Weld-trained 8/11 favourite Supernovae by a head in the mile-and-a-half fillies maiden, after the runner-up made a bold bid to make all.
A delighted Swan said: “We’ve been waiting for a bit of nice ground to run here again. She stays well and Fran did well to win on her. We’ll see how the handicapper rates her before we make plans.”
The Pat Flynn-trained Measured Approval (Danny Benson) in the seven-furlong Tote Jackpot Handicap proved the only successful favourite on the card, the National Hunt action producing further shocks as ods-on favourite Oscars Joy failed by a neck to cope with Maureen Danagher’s The Colleen Ban in the mares maiden hurdle
Cherryantor, ridden for Iggy Madden by David Splaine, sprang a 25/1 shock in the Tote Now In Paddy Power Shops Handicap Hurdle while an even bigger surprise came in the bumper when 33/1 shot Josie S And B (Steven Crawford) stretched into a clear lead from flagfall before beating favourite Klepht.
