Lethal Weapon ends five-year losing streak
Third on his recent debut in a Leopardstown maiden and an uneasy favourite here, the Jessica Harrington-trained Protestant scraped home by a short-head from newcomer The Pan Man in the opening Irish Stallion Farms Median Auction Maiden. Protestant cruised past disappointing 101-rated Orgilgo Bay early in the straight before being tackled by the runner-up. A tremendous battle developed through the last two furlongs before Berry’s mount earned the spoils on the nod.
The winning rider commented: “He’s a big baby, still very green, but he should keep improving once the penny drops. He showed good heart and determination. He’s probably a bit deceptive because he carries his head a bit high, like a lot of the Papal Bulls.”
Berry was seen at his strongest again when the Christy Roche-trained Lethal Weapon, whose five previous wins (two on the flat and three over hurdles came in 2008) landed the Connolly’s Red Mills Horse Care Cubes Handicap by a neck in a blanket-finish, beating longtime leader Captainofthefleet and The Fox Tully.
Having tracked the leaders, the winner edged ahead two furlongs out before idling and tiring and getting home narrowly, to the delight of Frank Berry, Racing Manager for winning owner J P McManus, who commented: “He’s had more than his share of problems after a great year as a three-year-old. He was a very good juvenile hurdler, but got hurt in the Triumph Hurdle and then took a bad fall in the Galway Hurdle the following year.”
