Five Claw makes all to get off the mark
Well-supported all day and sent off 11/4, the Michael Halford-trained colt broke smartly, showed plenty of pace and, with the favourite struggling to cope with the drop back to six furlongs, was in command throughout the last two furlongs before holding Donnacha O’Brien’s mount by two lengths.
A son of Jeremy, Five Claw was Conor Hoban’s first winner since losing his claim. His boss Michael Halford stated: “He’s a lovely, big, imposing horse. He was a bit keen on his debut at the Curragh – he ran with the choke out. But we gave him plenty of time and he loved the surface tonight.
“We thought there would be no pace in the race, so I told Conor to let him stride on. He has such a lovely long stride that he gets horses off the bridle. He should keep improving and I think he’s a nice prospect. But we’ll take small steps with him.”
Adrian Joyce’s consistent mare Majestic Timeline gave Chris Hayes his first win of 2015 when making all to beat Sylvan Mist and Strategic Heights in the opening five-furlong handicap.
Runner-up in her last three starts, the six-year-old bounced out of the stalls smartly, dictated the pace and was always in command, scoring by a length and a half to register her sixth win. Her delighted trainer admitted: “The plan was to get a lead. But she jumped and got the lead and Chris wasn’t going to give it away.”
And he added: “I knew she was in good form coming here and entered her for Wolverhampton next Friday. She’s won there twice and, all being well, she’ll be going back, with a mandatory penalty.”
Winner of a seller for William Jarvis at Leicester last July before being bought for £5,500 at the Doncaster Sales in September, Bishan Bedi made a successful Irish debut for Aidan, Anne Marie and Donnacha O’Brien in the Dundalk Stadium – Light Up Your Night Handicap.
Called after the former world-class Indian cricketer, the Intikhab gelding came from last to first, displaying speed rarely seen in a 47-65 handicap, to bolt up by five and a half lengths.
Donnacha O’Brien completed his first double and brought his career tally to eight wins when Andy Slattery’s course specialist Sharjah struck again in the finale, confirming recent course and distance form with Eye Of The Tiger and bringing his record on the polytrack to five wins and four seconds from ten starts since October.
