Spectacular four-timer for King
The 16-year-old is from Kilbrin, Co Cork, is apprenticed to David Wachman and was quite superb aboard 20-1 shot Royal Blue Star in the Listed Platinum Stakes. Jessica Harrington’s filly was giving him his biggest success to date.
A whole wall of horses had a chance approaching the furlong pole, but King came widest of the entire field and it was soon clear held all the aces, as the daughter of Dalakhani quickened away to beat Akira by a length.
“It’s unbelievable, I can’t believe it”, exclaimed the unassuming youngster, who returns to school at Kanturk in September to sit his Leaving Cert.
He will then be faced with marrying riding and studying and said: “I will mix and match.”
As regards Royal Blue Star, King commented: “She jumped a bit slow, but flew home.”
Wachman’s top weight, Harpist, was all the rage in ring, 9-4 to 6-4, in the ITBA Working For Southern Regional Breeders’ Handicap, but went under to 16-1 shot, Kiss The Stars, King’s first success of the evening.
Harpist likes to bowl along in front, but missed the kick a little and was always chasing the pace as a result. King got Kiss the Stars to the front at the furlong pole and Harpist, hard as she tried, was still three parts of a length adrift at the line.
He was on the mark again when giving Almadaa a smashing drive to land the Mallow Apprentice Handicap.
King sat against his charge for most of the straight, before easing him into the lead over a furlong down to beat Monday’s Naas winner, Doonard Prince.
Said King: “They went hard and I wanted a lead for as long as I could.”
He then rounded off a night he will never forget when forcing the Tom McCourt-trained Horsewithnoname to a short head defeat of Hangar Five in the second division of the Tote Trifecta Rollover Handicap. McCourt also trains Kiss The Stars.
“You don’t expect these things to happen, it’s brilliant when it works out”, said King, with a smile as wide as the Grand Canyon. The combined odds of his four winners came to 14,725-1.
Cork, of course, is his local track and he returned, after the fourth winner, to a particularly warm reception from the appreciative crowd.
Aidan O’Brien Venus De Milo, following her cracking second in the Irish Oaks at the Curragh, justified long odds on favouritism with the minimum of fuss in the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Give Thanks Stakes.
Joseph O’Brien soon had her in front and the imposing daughter of Duke Of Marmalade only had to be shaken up in the straight to easily beat Bunairgead.
Commented O’Brien senior: “Joseph felt it wasn’t ideal having to make the running. The race we are now looking at is the Prix Vermeille (Longchamp).”
David Wachman’s newcomer, Come To Heel, proved a snug winner of the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Maiden.
Given a sympathetic drive by Billy Lee, she travelled beautifully through the contest and he only had to push her out inside the furlong pole to beat the market leaders, Candy Apples and Treadstone.
Said Wachman: “She’s a nice filly, Billy was very cool and gave her a lovely introduction.
“She will step up to Stakes company now.”
Dermot Weld’s Lake District, running as a gelding for the first time, ran away with the Family Day Out Maiden.
Brought wide into the straight by Pat Smullen, he streaked clear to beat Inkerman by seven lengths.
“It was a good opportunity, he was entitled to win a race like this”, reported Smullen.
The first division of the Tote Trifecta Rollover Handicap went to Sheilas Wish, ridden by the talented Colin Keane for Meath trainer, John McConnell.
Keane was another to challenge wide, driving the Hawk Wing mare to a narrow victory over Crystal Earth and Bobskier.
