Colin Keane’s record-breaking achievements overshadowed the rest of the card at the Curragh, including the Paddy Power Irish Cesarewitch and the impressive performance of Paddy Twomey’s Limiti Di Greccio in the listed Staffordstown Stud 2-Y-0 Fillies Stakes.
The Shane Foley-ridden Line Out, a versatile nine-year-old, trained for the Lillingston family by John Kiely, took the Cesarewitch on only his fourth start on the Flat, sweetened by first-time cheekpieces and coming through strongly to record a resounding length and a half win over Turnpike Trip.
Kiely said: “He wasn’t the bravest of jumpers and he always had that little bit of class, so I was aiming for this and praying that we’d get in.
“I was afraid we were a little low in the handicap, but it came right at the end and it was just what we hoped for.
“I’ve had the race in mind for him since last year. When you’re thinking about it for a while it’s great when it happens.
“I’ve been associated now with three winners of this race. I won it in 1969 under my father’s name and we won it with Clara Allen in 2005. We had our first runner in it in 1953, which finished fifth.
“The race has been very good to me.”
The 84-year-old trainer added: “I’d rather be riding him (at home), I don’t ride anymore, but I broke him in. I’ve 10 in training at the minute, if you have 10 good ones they’ll do!”
Stuck in a pocket on the rail with a furlong and a half to race, 15/8 favourite Limiti Di Greccio produced a decisive turn of foot for Billy Lee to land the listed fillies event at the expense of Tranquil Lady and the consistent but luckless Sunset Shiraz.
Twomey said: “I was concerned when they turned in and she seemed to meet every bit of trouble she could.
“I was confident if she could get any bit of light we’d run well anyway and she exceeded my expectations.
“Her owner (Martin Schwartz) wanted to go to France for the Group One and the Breeders’ Cup, but I managed to talk him out of it.
“We won this last year and I wanted to come here. I think it’s a perfect stepping stone for the (Irish 1,000) Guineas.
“She’s come to me, won her maiden and finished second in the Ingabelle Stakes with trouble in running.
“I thought the extra furlong would suit her today and the slower ground didn’t seem to inconvenience her. The plan would be to go for the Guineas.”
He added: “The owner would very much like to go for the Breeders’ Cup, but the trainer is trying to put the brakes on.”
Tartan Skirt justified market confidence as she ran out a very smooth winner of the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden.
Fourth first time out over seven furlongs, the Michael O’Callaghan-trained Mehmas filly had no trouble coming back a furlong in trip, always travelling well before Leigh Roche asked her to put the race to bed, which she did by two lengths from Secret Magician.
O’Callaghan said of his 8-13 winner: “She’s a lovely filly, she ran a lovely race first time out in Punchestown and has improved plenty since then.
“She’s a filly that has done a good bit of growing and maturing in the last six weeks and I’d say she’ll even be better next spring. We might put her away now.
“She has plenty of pace, but I can see her maybe getting seven for a Guineas trial next spring. She obviously handled that ground today, but she would like nicer ground.
“She has a bit of class, she’s by a good stallion, and I think she’ll keep on improving. I’m delighted with her.”
