Neptune Rock lands Listowel feature for Joseph O'Brien
BLANKET FINISH: Neptune Rock (far side) swoops late to win the Listed Edmund & Josie Whelan Memorial Listowel Stakes at the expense of Venice Biennale, Casanova, and Sh Boom. Picture: Healy Racing
Fresh from his win in Monday’s feature, the Liam Healy Memorial Lartigue Hurdle, trainer Joseph O’Brien took Tuesday’s top billing, the listed Edmund & Josie Whelan Memorial Listowel Stakes with Neptune Rock.
The four-year-old filly was due a change of luck, having been noted staying on strongly in defeat in some similar races through the summer, but for much of this race victory looked unlikely. Ridden from well off the pace as is customary, she was forced to take a wide course around the final bend.
That seemed to leave her in a difficult position, but she responded well to Shane Crosse’s encouragement to get on top close home for a narrow victory over Venice Biennale, Casanova and Sh Boom.
“She’s always been threatening to do it,” said the trainer’s representative, Brendan Powell. “I thought, when she was so wide on the bend, it was going to be hard to make up the ground, but Shane said she does finish and even though she’s gone wide, it had been an uncomplicated run all the way into the straight.
“She didn’t jump as slow today as she can but to come around them like that and to get there in the end was a hell of a performance. Michael (O’Flynn, owner) is a breeder and she’s got her black-type win now. She’s a genuine little filly and she tries hard and it’s great to get that into her.” Gary Carroll was the star on the undercard, riding three winners, two of which were for Joe Murphy. His first, Prophets Voice, made all the running to take the Jet, Peggy & Eamonn O’Carroll Memorial.
Carroll was keen to make the most of a favourable draw and once in front he was able to dictate matters. A quick look behind in the straight showed that he was in control, and the gelding stayed on well to beat Fiddlers Green by three lengths with the odds-on favourite, Gambe Veloci, making modest late gains having been stuck in a pocket for much of the latter stages.
Murphy’s double came up in an eventful renewal of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Premier Nursery. His representative, Lord Massusus, ran out an impressive winner, but the best news from the race was that Ben Coen, who took a crashing fall from favourite Tiymara, walked away relatively unscathed.
And Carroll completed his 121-1 treble aboard the Gavin Cromwell-trained Earls in the finale, the Listowel Arms Hotel Handicap. On the outer and in midfield much of the way, he picked up strongly to lead late for a narrow success. Victory was the completion of a treble for the gelding, who has excelled since connections made the decision to no longer apply blinkers to the five-year-old.
Tiverton was a shade uneasy in the market in the minutes prior to the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden but that didn’t prevent Dermot Weld’s colt getting his head in front at the third time of asking. Runner-up on his two previous outings, he took up a handy position early on this occasion and dug deep for Chris Hayes to see off the running-on Boy Scout.
“It was a good, tough, workmanlike performance from him,” said assistant trainer Kris Weld. “He put his experience to good use and he’s the sort of horse I expect to improve plenty over the winter. He’s still filling into a big frame. We might run him once more this year and look for a bit of black type for him.” There were contrasting finishes to the two divisions of the Rose Hotel Handicap, the first requiring a photo finish, the second a wide-angle shot to put the winner in the picture with those behind. In the first division, Rory Cleary got the Pat Fahy-trained Navorrosse up in the very last stride to snatch victory from Super Cub. In division two, Star Of Cashel, ridden by Adam Caffrey for Ado McGuinness, quickened clear inside the final furlong to win by three and a half lengths.
Andrew Kinirons has a good record at this track and the Newbridge trainer saddled Mary Salome to take the Southern Milling & Paul & Vincent Quality Feeds Handicap. The grey, a winner here at the June meeting in 2021, was prominent early but shuffled back into midfield before making late gains to collar Ransom in the final yards. The win put Billy Lee back in front of Colin Keane in the jockeys’ championship.
