Sergei Diaghilev digs deep to deny City Of Dubai at Gowran Park
SERGE TO VICTORY: Sergei Diaghilev and Wayne Lordan, left, wins the Coolmore Stud Churchill Stakes from City of Dubai at Gowran Park on Friday. Picture: Healy Racing
Bouncing back from his defeat at Royal Ascot, 5-2 shot Sergei Diaghilev landed the listed Coolmore Stud Churchill 2-Y-0 Stakes at Gowran Park after a tremendous tussle with City Of Dubai.
Sea Of Rain made the running in the Gowran Park feature before Wayne Lordan made his move on the Aidan O’Brien-trained winner early in the straight.
Billy Lee, on gambled-on 9-4 favourite City Of Dubai, appeared to be travelling strongly, challenged, and held every chance from the two-furlong pole.
But there was no denying Sergei Diaghilev, who responded to pressure from Lordan and stayed on stoutly to score by three-quarters of a length, with the filly Bellesque a similar distance away in third.
“He’s very straight-forward and travels with pace through his races,” explained Lordan. “Although he was only ninth in Ascot, he was only beaten four and a half lengths. We always felt he’d appreciate stepping up in trip and today proved it. He quickened going to the furlong-pole and stuck it out well.
“This was his first time going around a bend, so he should come forward again. And he wouldn’t mind slower ground.”
The season’s leading rider Billy Lee recorded his 61st winner of the campaign when Curragh maiden winner Rebel Wave swoped late to deny course specialist Rion Rubette in the featured Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap.
“She’s a lovely, progressive filly and is doing everything right,” said winning trainer Willie McCreery. “She’s in the Fairy Bridge over seven furlongs, but Billy is adamant that she wants a mile. We’ll see what the handicapper does, but the plan is to get a bit of black type.”
Joey Sheridan, who will start a 12-day suspension next week, made all on Denis Hogan’s Alfred Tennyson in the seven-furlong Edward Doran’s Birthday Handicap while similar tactics were successfully employed by Donagh O’Connor on board the Robson de Aguiar-trained 8/1 shot Benevento in the 1xBet.ie. COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS Race.
There was a sting in the tail for O’Connor who received an eight-day whip ban.
Jessica O’Gorman was seen to good effect on the Oliver McKiernan-trained 10-year-old L’un Deux Trois in the concluding lady riders’ handicap, the 20-1 shot holding the late surge of Vervain by a head.
In Wexford, the Smithers brothers, Conor and Peter, 7lb claimers, were both on the board, Conor registering his fourth win in less than two weeks on board Strong Contender, a first winner since June of last year for trainer Norman Lee, in the SIS Handicap Hurdle.
“She’s a strong stayer and took off when I got a belt into her,” said the winning rider.
Half an hour earlier, Peter made all on the JP McManus-owned, Eoin Griffin-trained Splashing Out in the Neville Hotels Handicap Hurdle, the eight-year-old mare bouncing back from a below-par effort in Galway.
Splashing Out scored by six lengths from top-weight Jabbar.
Her trainer stated: “Her run in Galway was too bad to be true – she just didn’t handle it. If she’s okay, she’ll run in a two-mile flat maiden, for lady riders, in Tramore next. And the girl who led her up today, Natalie Bradley will ride her.”
Earlier, Kerry man Ross Sugrue savoured his first success since turning professional when partnering Philip Rothwell’s Rosenborg (9-1) to an all-the-way success in the Think Print & Design Maiden Hurdle.
Willie Mullins continued his rich vein of form when his sole runner on the day, Blackstairmountain’s half-sister Get It Girl, ridden by Patrick, landed the mares’ bumper.
The grey, a beaten odds-on favourite on her debut and a market drifter out to 4-1 here, stayed on strongly up the straight to see off Bredas Pearl and long-time leader Baymount.
