Parish Boy looks a smart prospect for Bolger
Parish Boy, in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed, stepped up on his debut run at Leopardstown to win a hot-looking seven furlong colts maiden while Lucida, in the Godolphin blue, captured the opening Frank Kenny 2-Y-0 Race.
Very green on his debut, Parish Boy proved himself a smart prospect when, helped by pace-making stable companion Popularity, he stayed on strongly up the hill to beat Ballydoyle hope Order Of St.George and favourite Sacrificiai in determined style, scoring by three-quarters of a length and two lengths.
“I thought he’d win at Leopardstown,” admitted Bolger. “But he has come on a lot since then and is a good sort of horse. He’ll be effective at a mile, but I expect he’ll stay. And it’ll be next year before we see the best of him.”
The two previous winners, Cape Clear Island (4/5 favourite) and Dandyleekie, were upstaged by newcomers in the opener as the Bolger-trained filly Lucida, ridden by Kevin Manning, beat John Murphy’s Compass Hill by a length and threequarters.
“She’s good and has an interesting pedigree,” said Bolger, who intends keeping the Shamardal filly off firm ground, at least for the moment.
Asked about future plans, Bolger replied: “She’s my only entry in the Cheveley Park (Group 1 at Newmarket on September 27) and that’s the long-term target, but she might run somewhere in the meantime.”
Dropping back in trip and backed from 7/1 to 5/1, the John Oxx-trained Newton’s Night, in the Sea The Stars colours of Christopher Tsui, landed the concluding fillies maiden in convincing style under Declan McDonogh.
The Galileo filly prove three and a half lengths too good for Sweet Cherry, with Chicago Girl third.
And Oxx stated: “She won nicely and dropping back in distance helped - she pulled too hard over a mile and a quarter in Fairyhouse the last day. If conditions are right, we might try to win a little handicap with her.”
Ken Condon saddled the tough and consistent Strait Of Zanzibar (Shane Foley) to win the Tipper Road Rated Race at the expense of Toccata Blue.
Condon was denied a double when Millngton, also owned by Raymond Doyle, failed by a half-length to the Pat Flynn-trained Twistsandturns (Danny Grant) in the Book On Line At naasracecourse.com Handicap, with front-running favourite Botanical Lady a similar distance away in third spot.
Trainer Pat Martin admitted: “It’s not a shock - she had an issue with stalls when we got her, but she has learned to relax and the ease in the ground was a big plus,” after 25/1 shot She’s Not Simple, ridden by local apprentice Sean Corby, defied top weight in the Follow Naas On Facebook Handicap.
Corby, on Mezogiorno, was overshadowed by Donagh O’Connor on board the Johnny Levins-trained Miller Beach in the Naas Apprentice Handicap, O’Connor’s mount getting home by a head to give the 16-year-old, from New Ross, Co Wexford, his first success, on only his second ride.
Levins expressed himself “proud and delighted” following O’Connor’s triumph, explaining: “It’s brilliant, a special day for Donagh. I think this young lad will be a top-class rider.”
