O’Brien chalks up 60th winner
And it was the victory of Fosters Cross, trained by Tom Mullins for Pat O’Donovan, which stood out as the eleven-year-old registered his tenth career success and proved himself on course for a probable return to Galway, where he won the big amateur handicap in 2011, three days before finishing second to Moon Dice in the Guinness Galway Hurdle, and where he won over fences last September.
Trainer Mullins commented: “We didn’t really expect to win tonight, but hoped he’d run well, getting ready for Galway. He’s off a nice mark, 136, for the Galway Plate, so we must think about that. Or he could go to Tipperary on Sunday week (for the Grimes Hurdle). We’ll have to talk about it.”
Confidently handled by O’Brien, Fosters Cross cruised through on the inside to lead with a furlong and a half to race before stretching clear to beat favourite Something Graceful emphatically.
The champion-jockey had initiated his double on Great Explorer, which followed-up a recent maiden success at Fairyhouse when making virtually all and hold the challenge of Minister Of Mayhem in the ten-furlong Order Of Malta Ambulance Corps Handicap.
Successful at Dundalk as a juvenile four-year-old Captain Cullen returned to the winner’s enclosure for the father and son combination of Gerry and Colin Keane when foiling the flattering Knights Templar in the Leopardstown Apprentice Handicap.
Ger Lyons continued his rich vein of form when the Gary Carroll-ridden Saxo Jack convincingly turned around recent Curragh form with hooded, odds-on favourite Al Destoor in the opening, ten-furlong Irish Stallion Farms Maiden.
Winner of an apparently moderate mile-and-a-half maiden at Tipperary in his this third start, the Jessica Harrington-trained Weather Watch made a successful handicap debut when powering home a convincing winner of the Ryan Sheridan Handicap, at the expense of Night Invader and favourite Waver, which was bidding to follow-up a win at Naas on Wednesday.
Weather Watch’s jockey Shane Foley complete a double when 77-rated Drifting Mist, trained by Michael Halford, proved a facile winner of the mile-and-a-half fillies maiden.
The grey daughter of Muhtathir, came from off a strong pace to beat Palace Of Winds in good style.
Jim Bolger, whose Teocht was a beaten favourite in the finale, had earlier saddled debutante Feasta, ridden by Kevin Manning, to turn over odds-on favourite Late Rosebud in the Follow Leopardstown On Facebook Maiden.
The daughter of Lil’s Boy (her sire’s last foal) wore down the front-running favourite in the closing stages to land the spoils by a neck.
