A DROP in class from the exalted surrounds of Group 1 company saw Lady Wannabe record the second listed triumph of her career in the Edmund & Josie Whelan Memorial Listowel Stakes.
The Fozzy Stack inmate couldn’t land a blow in the Matron Stakes last time but didn’t run at all badly and this nine-furlong affair represented a vastly easier assignment.
In a race where there was plenty of pace on up front, Chris Hayes was able to take his time on the Marie Gaffney and Barbara Murphy-owned four-year-old before launching a strong challenge from the turn-in.
Lady Wannabe (14/1) sustained her effort to lead just inside the last furlong and she defeated Keats by a length and three-parts to Keats.
“She had a good run in superior company last time when they were probably just going a gear too quick for her. This is probably her ideal trip and they went hard up front and I was able to take my time and she got into a nice rhythm,” declared Hayes.
Shane Crosse, who was cruelly denied a winning ride in the St Leger due to a positive Covid-19 test, got back amongst the winners courtesy of the classy top-weight Magnanimous (11/4) in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Premier Nursery.
The Joseph O’Brien-trained and HLT Partnership-owned son of Mehmas won a premier nursery at Cork earlier in the month over seven furlongs and had no difficulty stepping up to a mile. He cut down the brave front-runner San Martino inside the last furlong to win by a head.
“It feels like I’ve been away for a year but it’s just lovely to be back in the winner’s enclosure,” said Crosse. “He’s a lovely horse who got the mile well. Hopefully he can keep climbing up the ladder and I presume he could step into listed company now.”
On her third start for Paddy Twomey, last year’s German 1000 Guineas fourth Best In Stage (9/2) came good in the Irish Stallion Farms Fillies Handicap over a mile.
Billy Lee pounced inside the final furlong on this Emma Kennedy-owned daughter of Pastorius who saw off the game front-runner Passing Trade by a length and a quarter.
The winner was dropping down in trip on her return from two months off and stakes form will be her priority for the rest of the season.
Ewing proves the Master for Matthew
APPRENTICE Sam Ewing rode his first winner as a 7lb when teaming up with the capable Master Matt (11/1) in quite a well-contested seven-furlong handicap.
This Frank Lynch-owned gelding ran very well to finish fourth in the Scurry Handicap during the summer but hadn’t been able to build on that and dropped 8lb in the ratings since.
In a first-time tongue-tie, Matthew Smith’s charge put his best foot forward. He didn’t break as alertly as some of his rivals, but Ewing steadily got him to the front and in the straight the Slade Power gelding showed a fine attitude to edge a protracted battle with Trading Point by a short-head.
“We tried a tongue-tie on him and Frank was keen to try him over seven furlongs too,” stated Smith. “He’s a horse who can sulk if you take a pull on him so I told Sam to let him go forward and he’s given him a very good ride.”
Aidan O’Brien’s Matchless (10/11) progressed from a solid debut fourth to Toshizou in a smart-looking event at Tipperary last week to take the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over seven furlongs.
The brother to the classy stayer Delphi made the running for Seamie Heffernan and picked up nicely from the turn in to retain control of this race and score by half a length from Laelaps who had chased him throughout.
This success bodes well for the winner’s prospects as O’Brien’s last three two-year-old maiden winners at this meeting are the Irish Derby winner Santiago, the dual Group 1 scorer Japan and the Group 1-placed Smuggler’s Cove.
“He’s a nice colt who had a good run last week and I thought if I could make the running he would win. It’s lovely, genuine good ground and I must compliment them here on the state of the track,” commented Heffernan.
Apprentice Luke McAteer notched up yet another winner courtesy of the Pat Murphy-trained Angel Palanas in the first division of the 45-65 rated seven-furlong handicap.
A four-time winner in Britain, the well-supported 7/1 chance produced by far his best effort since being picked up for 8,500gns by Murphy earlier this year as he defeated Foreign Legion by two lengths. Murphy trains the winner for his wife Diane.
HE looked a class apart from his rivals beforehand and Agitare duly got off the mark in straightforward fashion in the Jet & Peggy O’Carroll Memorial (C&G) Maiden.
Jim Bolger’s colt lined up as an 11-race maiden but those efforts included a recent third in the Tetrarch Stakes and a close fourth in last month’s Irish Cambridgeshire, while he was also placed at Group 2 level as a juvenile.
All this gave the 2/5 favourite compelling claims and he made all the running under Kevin Manning to score by a length-and-a-half.
“The boss is delighted and says he will stay farther. He’s a smart horse who was due that and later in the year he will go to the horses-in-training sales,” commented the trainer’s daughter Una.
Bolger and Manning were earlier successful with another Jackie Bolger-owned three-year-old in Sheer Bravado (100/30) in the second division of the 45-65 rated seven-furlong handicap.
This son of Fracas was placed on his handicap debut at Gowran recently and progressed from that to record a clear-cut triumph after getting on top in the last furlong. He could easily add to his tally in the near future.