Rogue Legend completes quickfire double in Tipperary
OUT IN FORCE: The Rogues Gallery Partnership savour the moment after Rogue Legend powered to victory in the Irish EBF Median Sires Series 2-Y-0 Race in Tipperary on Tuesday evening. Picture: Healy Racing
Just seven days on from his maiden success in Cork, Rogue Legend bagged the €25,000 Irish EBF Median Sires Series 2-Y-0 Race in Tipperary, highlight of a treble for Billy Lee and a double for trainer Paddy Twomey.
Always prominent along the stands rail, the grey son of Havana Grey stretched clear in great style in the final furlong to slam Howd’yadoit by three and a quarter lengths.
“The trainer hasn’t planned it very well, asking him to carry so much weight in his races,” acknowledged Twomey. “But he keeps improving and is learning on the job. And we’ve no choice but to step into stakes company now.
“He’s owned by a very enthusiastic syndicate (the Rogues Gallery Partnership). There are 27 of them involved and I’m sure they’ll be thinking about Royal Ascot. But there’s a listed race back here in early July (the Tipperary Stakes on July 2) which his trainer thinks might be a good spot for him.”
Newcomer Pharos Freedom, a son of Starspangledbanner, brought up the Twomey double and Lee’s treble when landing the Tipperary Town Maiden over an extended mile and a half.
He recovered from a tardy start, was soon handy and, sent for home turning into the straight, stayed on dourly to beat fellow debutant Ardashir by almost two lengths, the pair stretching eight lengths clear of the rest.
“He’s a good tough horse and has done all his work with (recent listed winner) Carmers, working equally as well as him,” stated the winning trainer. “He’s out of a Galileo mare and stays well. He’ll have no problem stepping up in trip.”
Lee had registered the second leg of his treble when Shoney, a Mehmas filly, trained for Michael Ryan by Willie McCreery, made all for an emphatic win in the five-furlong maiden, scooting clear to beat Memphis Rose by four and a quarter lengths.
“She’s not very big but she has a lot of heart and tries very hard,” said McCreery. “She broke well. Billy was able to dictate things and she picked-up well. Michael is big into breeding, so we’ll try to get some black type for her.”
Slowly away when fourth in Cork last time, course and distance scorer Sarahmae made amends in style when justifying 5-1 favouritism in the five-furlong SIS Supporting Irish Racing Handicap, racing prominently throughout before asserting and beating Beano Power comfortably.
“She missed the start and was unlucky in Cork,” explained Denis Hogan. “But she’s improving, likes an ease in the ground and had won here in the spring. Joey (Sheridan) gets a good tune out of her and I think we’ll freshen her up and hope to move up through the grades with her.”
In Ballinrobe, Sean Flanagan, on his second day back after injury, provided Barry Connell with a double, courtesy of 4-6 shot Net Boy, who survived a last flight mistake to take a division of the Sheridan Electric Maiden Hurdle, and Tannery Park (9-1) in the FBD Handicap Hurdle.
On a night when four odds-on favourites obliged, the biggest shock came when the Willie Mullins-trained 8/13 shot Last Kingdom was outpointed by 66/1 shot A Snow White Park, a four-year-old filly and racecourse debutante, ridden by Danny Mullins for his mother Mags.
Janes Harbour justified 8-11 favouritism in the opener for Joseph O’Brien and Mark Walsh while the Bill Durkan-trained Fairbanks will head to Royal Ascot on the back of his all-the-way success in the second division of the Sheridan Electric Maiden Hurdle.
And hotpot Doctor Steinberg bolted-up in the bumper for Willie and Patrick Mullins.
