De Sousa outclasses rivals for repeat win
The second leg of a double for Aidan O’Brien, the 4/5 favourite was confidently handled by Joseph O’Brien, settled at the back of the field until closing and encountering plenty of traffic problems in the straight.
But, when switched to the outside, the four-year-old Henrythenavigator colt quickened impressively to head Hold The Line inside the final furlong before stretching clear readily to score by three and a half lengths.
The winning rider said: “He’s a classy horse, very effective on this surface and I don’t think he’s shown yet on the track what he has in the locker.”
Back at the scene of his breakthrough success less than three weeks ago, Donnacha O’Brien had earlier recorded his third success in the saddle and initiated the Ballydoyle double on Waver, a winner over hurdles in Listowel, in the apprentice handicap, holding the late flourish of Catchy Lass.
Successful on Lucida in the Group 2 Rockfel Stakes in Newmarket, Kevin Manning made the dash back to Dundalk worthwhile when partnering Intense Style to an emphatic all-the-way victory in the Irish Stallion Farms Median Auction 2-Y-0 Maiden.
Held up in traffic leaving Dublin Airport, Manning missed the ride on Rapid Eye in the opener. But he didn’t have to wait long for a taste of polytrack success as Intense Style dictated the pace before forging clear to beat Folk Law by almost three lengths.
“He got an easy lead, but quickened up well and won nicely,” commented Manning.
Returning after a break, the Andy Slattery-trained Sors made all and bolted-up in the opening two-year-old maiden, Declan McDonogh’s mount earning a crack at either the Redcar 2-Y-0 Trophy next Saturday or the Birdcatcher Nursery in Naas on October 19.
Gary Carroll was banned for three days for careless riding following his success on Halarath in a division of the ten-furlong 47-65 handicap.
Meanwhile, back-in-form Gordon Eliiott followed-up Wednesday’s Perth double with a treble in Downpatrick yesterday, two of his winners partnered by Barry Geraghty.
The former champion was on board Knight’s Parade, which justified 6/5 favouritism, at the expense of market rival Ram Them All, in the opening maiden hurdle and the consistent but previously luckless mare Definite Ruby, which powered up the hill to beat front-running Draycot Place in the Irish Stallion Farms Beginners Chase.
After reaching a half-century of winners for the season in Ireland and Britain, Elliott explained: “Kevin has been riding out with us all summer and gave this horse and brilliant ride — I hope to use him a lot during the winter,” after Kevin Sexton rode his first winner for the stable, top-weight High Net Worth, in the Cheering Rory Handicap Hurdle.
