Beset and McDonogh battle back to give Joseph O'Brien third Sligo Fillies handicap victory in five years
Beset and Declan McDonogh (left) win for trainer Joseph O'Brien from Fratas. Picture: Healy Racing
Joseph O’Brien saddled first and third with stable debutants in the €30,000 Irish Stallion farms EBF Fillies Handicap in Sligo as Declan McDonogh extricated Beset from trouble on the inside to pounce late for victory over Fratas and Lemsairbat.
Formerly trained by Henry Candy in England and carrying the ‘Lady Of the Lamp’ colours, the Expert Eye filly swooped to give her trainer a third win in the event in five years.
McDonogh explained, "I was caught in traffic and needed luck and I had no other option but to go down the inside. I loved her attitude — she wanted to get into the gap and quickened through it nicely.
"Today was all about learning about her and, hopefully, she’ll progress from here. We went a hell of a gallop and she couldn’t go early, but she came home well, so stepping up to a mile and a half shouldn’t be a problem."
The long trip from Golden to Sligo paid off for Paddy Twomey as €150,000 Arqana Breeze-Up purchase Ceo Stealth Mode made a successful debut in the Tote.ie Median Auction maiden.
Backed into 8/11 favourite, Billy Lee’s mount overcame his inexperience, coming from off the pace and ultimately, scoring, going away, by four lengths from market rival Chester Nimitz.
"It’s hard to win around here first time out, but he’s a nice colt,” explained Twomey, “He’s learning on the job and that trip (an abbreviated six furlongs) would be a minimum for him. He’ll go out in trip and we’ll try to find a suitable winners race for him."
Trainer Danny Murphy continued his impressive early-season strike-rate when Agouti Bear (Jamie Powell) dictated the pace and ran on strongly to beat Shoney by two and a half lengths in the Download The Tote App Fillies Maiden.
"She’s a nice filly, but has her quirks,” said Murphy, “She dropped Jamie at the start, bit did her job well in the race. I had her sold after her first win, but the lads (the Kildare Racing Syndicate/Brogue (Taum) Racing Club) changed their mind — I ‘ve had three horses for them and they’ve all won."
"I’ll enter this filly for a six-furlong handicap in Naas on Saturday, although I’ll be entering two others as well."
Gegenpressing will reappear in today’s 5.20 at the Curragh in the wake of his narrow win, from an outside draw, under Chris Hayes (lost his whip) in the six-furlong Tote Never Beaten By SP Handicap.
Trained by Eddie and Patrick Harty, the seven-year-old was repeating last year’s win in the 0-60 handicap and recording his third course and distance success.
Patrick Harty commented, "He’s become a bit of a family pet and is a great lead horse at home. He does what he wants, but Sligo seems to be just right for him. The plan has always been to run again tomorrow — Jessica (O’Gorman) will ride him."
Apprentice Keithen Kennedy took the riding honours, registering a double on Pat Fahy’s You Make Me Smile, for a local syndicate, in the Tote.ie Apprentice Handicap and the Jessica Harrington-trained Birdie Time, a convincing winner of the finale, the APEX Controls Ltd. Handicap.
