Bazaar rises to challenge
Always close to the pace, the son of Galileo colt had to be driven out by Joseph to assert inside the final furlong and stayed on well to beat long shot Ballymac Rosey by three lengths.
Joseph admitted: “He’s a grand horse, with a good attitude and ran to a similar level to his first run at the Curragh. It was probably an ordinary race, but it’s nice to win a maiden with him. Hopefully, he’ll progress and he should stay a mile and a half. He should be competitive in handicaps.”
Denied a Group 2 success on Lahinch Classics at the Curragh on Sunday, Wayne Lordan triumphed on his only mount last night, the Willie McCreery-trained What Lies Ahead, in the opening Tote-sponsored maiden.
The four-year-old Saffron Walden filly drew clear before the home-turn but idled inside the final furlong and held on by only a short-head from Dancingwithangels, giving Lordan his 30th success of the domestic season.
There was better luck later for the father and son combination of Tom and Rory Cleary, associated with Dancingwithangels, as Truly Delightful made all to win the Live The Dream With Tote Rated Race by threequarters of a length from favourite Que Sera Sera.
The winning trainer, who is based near Athlone, explained: “That’s the third race she has won for the syndicate. And this is my first winner at my local track.
“She’ll definitely be coming up the hill (in Galway) next week,” added Cleary.
In the other flat event, Ian Queally partnered 14/1 shot Hangar Five to an emphatic win over fast-finishing favourite Byron Beauty in the apprentice handicap.
Royal Shot, a big disappointment when favourite at Roscommon last time, bolted up for trainer/rider Denis Hogan in the Tote Trifecta Handicap Hurdle, prompting Hogan to admit: “It’s the wrong day — we really fancied him in Roscommon, but I shouldn’t have run him on the fast ground — I didn’t sleep for a week after it.”
“This was a poor race, but he did it well. The lads are from Galway and, hopefully, he’ll run there on Monday.”
Hogan was denied a double when 20/1 shot Island Villa was outbattled by Paul Flynn’s Steel King (Kevin Sexton) in the concluding maiden hurdle.
Dropping back from handicap company, the Johnny Levins-trained Red Ipsa Loquitur took the mares maiden hurdle under Brian O’Connell.
Levins commented: “She was more streetwise with her handicap experience and, if she’s okay, she’ll run again in Limerick on Thursday.”
