Tipperary report: Jessica Harrington gets Indigo Balance back on track

Indigo Balance and Shane Foley win the  TipperaryRacecourse.ie Handicap. Picture: Healy Racing

Jessica Harrington, Shane Foley, and owner Zhang Yuesheng teamed up to record a double at Tipperary, the first leg of which was the impressive Indigo Balance.

Clearly suited by the return to Jessica Harrington’s yard, he returned to the sort of form he had shown for this stable as a juvenile with a runaway success in the TipperaryRacecourse.ie Handicap.

A listed winner in 2018 and subsequently sent to Australia, where he failed to fire, his recent return to an Irish racecourse showed he retained plenty of ability, and this six-length win provided confirmation.

“Mrs Harrington has the key to him,” said Foley. “He was a very good two-year-old and then he lost his way a bit, but he seems to be finding his way again, and he mightn’t be running in handicaps after today.

“He’s not the easiest of rides at home, but he showed a lot of pace today, more than I even thought he had.” 

Harpocrates was made to work much harder to complete the 11-1 double in the Racing Again At Tipperary On May 6 Race. In a thrilling finish, the 11-4 chance edged out odds-on favourite Maker Of Kings, with the inexperienced Insinuendo a close third.

Donnacha O’Brien’s Elliptic belied greenness in making a winning debut in the Yeomanstown Stud “El Kabeir” Irish EBF Fillies’ Maiden. 

Slow at the break, she moved through the field stylishly to win like a nice prospect.

Erosandpsyche, ridden by Declan McDonogh for Kieran Cotter, recorded a facile success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden and is likely to take his place in the listed Committed Stakes this Sunday at Navan.

Inventor, a €1,600 purchase at the Goffs Autumn Online Sales in November, more than repaid that investment by winning the Thank You To The Frontline Workers Handicap for brother-and-sister team of Gillian Scott and Billy Lee.

Lee later completed a double when Pinpointed, having her second start for John Kiely, got on top late to take the second division of the Follow @TipperaryRaces On Twitter Handicap.

There was a big upset in the Tipperary Town Maiden when New Reality, ridden by Kevin Manning for Jim Bolger, reversed previous form with odds-on favourite Modus Operandi.

Morph Speed, ridden by Scott McCullagh and having his second run for Richard O’Brien, ran out a three-length winner of the first division of the Follow @TipperaryRaces On Twitter Handicap.