Promising Vitally Important bolts up on belated debut
Oliver was successful with another potentially smart sort in Tom Melbourne last week and Vitally Important, a Pivotal colt, looked exciting here, quickening in great style when switched by Chris Hayes to slam Emiest Rose by four and a half lengths, with 72-rated Seeking Truth third.
“He came to me early in the year, but had a setback,” explained Oliver. “We were under pressure to get him out this season and he was no more than ready to run tonight. But I think he’s a smart horse and should be a smashing horse next year.”
Well-backed all day in opposition to 90-rated Solomon Northup and ultimately sent off a red-hot 8/11 favourite, the Michael Halford-trained Shannon Soul justified that market support when making all to win the Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Maiden, holding his market rival by a head before an objection lodged by Fran Berry, rider of the runner-up, was overruled.
“He has the makings of a lovely horse,” declared Halford. “He’s still very green and babyish and did well to win against a horse rated 90 – that shows how competitive Irish racing is these days, particularly for two-year-olds. This colt is still a bit weak but should strengthen up over the winter. He stays a mile well and should go further s a three-year-old.”
Shane Foley completed a double in the finale, the Dundalk Stadium On Facebook Handicap, when 13/8 favourite Elusive Laurence made all and stayed on dourly to hold the late challenge of Comedy Club.
The Lawman filly, tackling a mile and a half for the first time, was having her ninth run for trainer Jessica Harrington and was earning her reward after a couple of solid recent efforts, notably a close second to Moonmeister last week.
Apprentice Donagh O’Connor, from New Ross, snatched his fourth career success when Dashwood, trained by his boss Johnny Levins, got up on the line to pip favourite Doc Holliday by a short-head in the opening claimer.
Levins was full of praise for the winning rider, explaining: “Donagh said he was doing too much the last day with cheekpieces and that he doesn’t get a mile with them. You don’t get feedback like that from too many 7lb. claimers.”
Raised 10lb. for an emphatic win over seven furlongs last Friday, the James Nash-trained Tsar Paul, again ridden by apprentice Ana O’Brien, took advantage of carrying just a mandatory 5lb. penalty when following-up in the six-furlong Crowne Plaza Of Dundalk Handicap.
The often frustrating nine-year-old swooped late to deny hat-trick-seeking Times In Anatefka, registering his fifth career success. Nash commented: “He’s in again on Friday and we’ll see how he is – I don’t know if a nine-year-old could win three in a week.”
Winner of the race two years ago, Hes Our Music (Conor Hoban) landed the Crowne Plaza Race & Stay Handicap at the expense of Ned’s Indian, the Pat Flynn-trained five-year-old registering his fifth win on the track.
The Crowne Plaza Handicap over a mile and a half produced a blanket-finish, which resulted in a dead-heat between the Joseph O’Brien-ridden joint-favourite Armed Guard, trained by Eddie Lynam, who is currently in Hong Kong, and Derek Barry’s Well Insured (14/1), a second winner for apprentice Dylan Hogan, who works for Kevin Prendergast.
