Must meets Curragh challenge

Kevin Prendergast’s consistent Mustameet continued his good run of form when scoring for the fourth time this season in the ladbrokes.com International Stakes at the Curragh.

Declan McDonogh settled the five-year-old in mid-division through the early stages and moved upsides early pace-setter Kings Point as the field approached the final couple of furlongs.

Once McDonogh pressed the button at that point, Mustameet responded with a fine turn of foot that saw him shake off the attentions of Modeeroch and build what looked a winning lead.

As soon as he had done so, however, Ace emerged as a live threat once Kieren Fallon extricated him from a pocket on the far rails but Prendergast’s 9-4 shot stayed on too stoutly to land the spoils.

Ace, the 5-4 favourite, was reverting to a mile for the first time since 2004 and finished strongly when in the clear to go down by a rapidly-diminishing head, with Jim Bolger’s Modeeroch a further two lengths away in third.

Barry Hills’ Killybegs fared best of the British duo in fourth as the Richard Fahey-trained Kings Point dropped away tamely to trail home last of the seven.

A delighted McDonogh said: “He’s done it well and I’m delighted for everyone concerned today.

“Pat (Smullen) set a nice pace on Kings Point and I got a nice clear run and he picked up well when I asked him.

“He seems better than ever this season – I’ve ridden since he was two and he seems stronger than ever,” he told At The Races.

Prendergast added: “He stuck at it well – he’s been a great servant for a horse that has broken down twice.

“I don’t know where we’ll go now. There might be a race for him in Deauville in August.”

Earlier on the card, 7-1 shot Alexander Tango made a big impression when landing the Ladbrokes.com European Breeders Fund Fillies Maiden on her racecourse debut.

Wayne Lordan brought the Danehill Dancer filly with a strong run to take command inside the final furlong and she readily galloped two and a half lengths clear of the field to win going away.

In Safe Hands and John Oxx’s Four Sins acquitted themselves well, filling second and third spots respectively, but neither had any answer to the winner’s superior turn of foot.

Alexander Tango’s triumph delighted connections, with Fozzy Stack, son and assistant to father Tommy, saying: “She quickened up nicely eventually and probably just didn’t get the best of trips until about two out in the race, but she did it well in the end.

“She is in the Debutante, which is a fortnight tomorrow (at Leopardstown) but we’ll probably just come back here for the Moyglare.

“She’s shown us plenty at home.”

Osterhase, the 6-4 favourite, ensured punters had something to shout about when getting the better of a sustained duel with Leitra (7-1) in the 100,000 Ladbrokes Rockingham Handicap.

The pair had things between them throughout the final one and a half furlongs but Fran Berry galvanised the seven-year-old to get up late on and repeat his 2004 victory in this valuable event.

Sole British raider Bo McGinty (9-1) flew home to grab third, providing Fahey with some compensation following Kings Point’s earlier disappointment.

Sponsors VC Bet cut the winner to 5-1 second-favourite (from 6s) behind Dandy Man for the Nunthorpe Stakes at York on August 24 but winning handler John Mulhern said: “He might go for the Flying Five back here in August.

“The owners are keen to go for the Nunthorpe but I don’t see any point in taking on Dandy Man again, though he would have a big chance if he got fast ground.

“We are a winning team and we’ll keep on doing it for as long as we can.

“Hopefully we might come back next year and see if he could win another Rockingham as it’s marvellous prize money for a horse like him to win.”

There was a shock in the Jumeirah European Breeders Fund (C & G) Maiden when Jim Bolger's Teofilo (8-1) got the better of the odds-on Red Rock Canyon.

The runner-up is a Rock Of Gibraltar colt out of dual Classic winner Imagine, making him a half-brother to the ill-fated Horatio Nelson and resulting in him being sent off at 4-5.

The first two were prominent throughout and after seeing off the challenge of Dermot Weld’s Blue Coral, who eventually finished third, they settled down to fight it out.

It was Bolger’s son of Galileo who found extra in the final one hundred yards to prevail by a neck from Kieren Fallon’s mount, who nevertheless ran a promising race in defeat.

Bolger said: ``He is a stayer but has plenty of speed. He has got a lovely physique and there is a race at Leopardstown we'll look at for him, or he could go for the National Stakes back here.''

O’Brien was also happy with the effort of Red Rock Canyon and he looks sure to figure in the better juvenile events later in the season.

“I am delighted with him and he is a horse to really look forward to,” said the Ballydoyle maestro.

“He is in everything but I don’t know where he will go next. There’s plenty of stamina in his pedigree as the mare won the Oaks.”

Kevin Prendergast and Declan McDonogh continued their good recent run of form with the victory of Regional Counsel (12-1) in the Group Three Dubai Duty Free Anglesey Stakes.

Impressive debut winner Finicius was sent off the 5-2 favourite for Eoin Griffin but he was a little unlucky in running trapped on the fence, and it was Kevin Ryan’s Sadeek (4-1) who proved the major obstacle for the winner.

Sadeek disputed the lead throughout and seemed to have fought off all-comers before McDonough produced the son of Medicean to get up in the final strides and win by a neck.

Ryan said of the runner-up: ``He's run a blinder but I'll probably give him a break now and bring him back for an autumn campaign

.

“The ground will have been fast enough for him and he’ll be better with a bit of juice.

“The draw beat him at Ascot and I’d love to think he’ll get a mile, but realistically seven furlongs is probably as far as he will want to go.”