Third time lucky for Mark
A good third to Won Diamond over course and distance before Christmas, the Indian Haven gelding justified 8/11 favouritism, under an ultra-confident ride by Emmet McNamara, at the expense of the gambled-on debutant Sacred Dragon.
Backed all day (from as big as 16/1 in a place) and supported from 7/2 to 9/4 on-course, Sacred Dragon tried hard under Kevin Manning, as the leading duo pulled clear.
But McNamara was always in control on the favourite and eased his mount into the lead inside the final furlong to score, comfortably by a half-length.
Shane Lyons, assistant to his trainer-brother Ger, said: “He’s a horse we’ve always liked and he deserved that after a good run here the last day.
“He’ll have a break now and will come back, hopefully on good ground, in the summer, over a mile or a mile-and-a-quarter.”
Up 8lb. for a smooth success over course and distance last week, the Joanna Morgan-trained Balmont Flyer and Pat Smullen followed-up with another convincing win in the second division of the Crown Plaza Leading Jockey & Trainer Championship Handicap.
Trainer Morgan said: “He likes it around here and will be back. He’s getting stronger and more confident and improving all the time.”
The even-money favourite cruised into the lead soon after the two-furlong pole before being driven out by Smullen to beat Trans City by three lengths
Apprentice Derek McCormack, who spent more than two years with Guillaume Macaire in France, registered his first success on home soil for almost seven years on board 25/1 shot Waterloo Sunrise, trained by Shane Duffy, in a division of the mile-and-a-quarter handicap.
Wearing a visor for the first time, Tom McCourt’s Inishmot Duchess (Ian Brennan) and the Jimmy Lambe-trained veteran Richelieu (Chris Hayes) landed the divisions of the six-furlong 47-65 handicap.
Trainer Matthew Smith, based in Kilmessan, County Meath and rider Ross O’Sullivan, originally from Dun Laoghaire, savoured their first racecourse success when 20/1 shot Gretzky landed the finale, the mile-and-a-half amateur handicap.
