Viking Invasion overpowers Gowran Park rivals
Viking Invasion powers clear of his outclassed rivals in the hands of Dylan Browne McMonagle. Picture: Healy Racing
Viking Invasion was a shade disappointing when finishing in midfield in a valuable sales race last month at the Curragh, but the Mehmas colt left that effort a long way behind when running out a most impressive winner of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden on Monday’s card in Gowran Park.
Jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle, who has a potential star greyhound in the shape of the unbeaten Droopys Kathleen, was positive aboard Joseph O’Brien’s colt and once he asked for maximum effort, the response was eye-catching. The colt raced right away to beat Saints N Scholars by six lengths, with disappointing odds-on favourite Light As Air only third.
McMonagle said: “He travelled around well and the step up in trip was a big help. It got him through the middle part a lot easier. He was in his comfort zone, and when I asked him to stretch, he quickened up well and got to the line well.
“He won well, and I think he’s going to get better with time. He’s very versatile (regarding ground) and will have no trouble stepping up to beyond a mile and a quarter, in time.”
Pretty Lavish caused quite an upset when making a winning debut in the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Fillies’ Maiden but there was no semblance of fluke about the performance.
Natalia Lupini’s 20-1 chance, ridden by Wayne Lordan, settled off the pace, ran into some trouble halfway up the straight, but quickened up late on to readily see off the 75-rated I Can Imagine.
“She’s a filly they like a lot,” said Lordan. “She has a lovely pedigree. She’s quite tall and we were thinking she might be weak on that ground, but we got away with it. She’s going to be a grand filly next year, and she feels like she’s going to stay well.”
Lordan later completed an 83-1 double when the Aidan O’Brien-trained Iseult Of Ireland proved to be in a different class to her rivals in the Gowran Park Racing Club Fillies’ Maiden. Her five previous runs offered plenty of promise, at a certain level, but she put it all together this time and the 3-1 co-favourite of three led early and careered clear to win by eight and a half lengths.
Chica Guerrera was well backed to make a successful handicap debut in the Golf At Gowran Park Nursery and Mark Fahey’s filly duly obliged. Keithen Kennedy had the 7-2 favourite in a good position throughout and while she came under pressure turning for home, she always looked likely to get on top. Given similarly testing conditions, she can be competitive off whatever revised mark she is given.
In seven previous outings, Thrifty Of Digby had shown plenty of promise but hadn’t always enjoyed the best of luck in running. In the Dine At Gowran Park Handicap, Shane Foley took the luck element out of the equation as he made all the running aboard Jessica Harrington’s filly and his mount stuck to her task well to win a shade cosily.
There was plenty of pace in the first division of the Racing Club Membership Handicap and when the pace collapsed it led to an exciting finish. Three horses crossed the line almost in unison, but the photo showed that Gallo Dell Cielo, ridden by Robyn Donahue-Leahy for Pat Flynn and Savannah, Georgia owner Jeffrey Mahany, shaded the verdict from Wrist Art and Poppadom.
The second division went the way of Pandion Power, who had little trouble following up last week’s Roscommon success. Rory Mulligan gave the three-year-old a positive ride, steadily building a sizable advantage and holding enough in reserve to comfortably keep Pink Socks at bay.
Fairy Wings, with conditions to suit, got her turn in the finale, a 12-furlong handicap. Ridden patiently by Nathan Crosse, Willie McCreery’s filly, sent off at odds of 12-1 came late and wide to mount a challenge and was value for more than the half-length she beat favourite Paradise Lost.
