COLIN Keane extended his lead at the head of the jockeys’ championship when riding a double.

The first leg came on the Emmet Mullins-trained 2/7 favourite This Songisforyou in the Slievenamon Maiden over a mile, one furlong and a half.

Carrying the colours of the Mee family, the five-year-old made all the running to win by six lengths. Mullins said: “With his good Leopardstown form, he was always going to take beating coming down the country. We’ve always thought a lot of him and hopefully he can go forward now and be competitive in handicaps.

“He has an awful lot of pace and I wouldn’t be worried about dropping him back to a mile. He has a high cruising speed and a good turn of foot. The ground probably went against him in the two-mile maiden hurdle (at Galway).

“I’m sure he will pick up his hurdle races but I’d say two miles is his maximum over hurdles. He’s American-bred and Colin said he floats across that ground.

“We’ll stick to the flat for now but if the ground was good enough, I’m sure he might take a hurdle run in Galway next year.”

Second winner

The champion jockey’s second winner came in the very next race, the Suir Blueway Handicap, on Beauparc, over the same distance.

Despite being well supported early doors, the Gerry Keane-trained winner drifted out to 8/1 before the off. However, the Dominick Glennane-owned filly overcame greenness to get up close home for a neck success.

The winning trainer reported: “We thought she wanted a mile-plus but weren’t sure about going a mile, one furlong straightaway (in handicaps) but there were no races for her.

“We took a chance and put her in today and looking at that she will get a mile and two. She is a lovely filly, is still weak and next year will be her year I’d say. I was very happy with the way she did it in the end and having won by only a neck, I don’t think she’ll get a big hike for that.

“Hopefully she keeps going now and that might be it for this year now as she has done her job.”

RACING commenced with the 8/11 favourite Astar making all under Chris Hayes to win the Clonmel Racecourse Supporters Club Fillies & Mares Maiden by one and a quarter lengths.

Trainer Dermot Weld said: “It was as expected and the plan was to jump off and make all - keep it simple. We had two runners here last year which both won and that’s the way we rode both of them.

“She has been a model of consistency, she ran an excellent race when she was second in Galway and is lovely-bred and locally owned by Newtown Anner Stud. Later in the year we’ll try for blacktype with her, because she is so consistent.”

Extensio led early in the straight to run out a hugely impressive two-and-a-quarter length winner of the featured John O’Brien Memorial Tipperary Cup Handicap over two miles and half a furlong.

The well backed 2/1 favourite was trained by Patrick O’Donnell for his wife, Una.

Good horse

The former later stated: “I’ve hit on a good horse. Up to the Curragh run, where the draw beat him, obviously, we always said we had a nice horse, but after that day we came home saying we have a good horse – and we have a good horse now.

“This has been a lucky horse to start with. You almost don’t want to believe you have your hands on a good horse because it’s so rare we get on them, but I think we have a good one here.

“Before he won in Roscommon, he was meant to go to Haydock with a view to the English Cesarewitch, but the ground turned up soft and we had to cancel that. Where I might go with him is to the Cesarewitch Trial in Newmarket.

“Needless to say, several jockeys’ agents were on the phone to me, but Joey Sheridan has been helping me all spring – I’ve been meeting him once a week – so I certainly wasn’t going to (go elsewhere).

“It was just a misfortune he couldn’t ride him earlier in the season, as he was injured. But I’m delighted to give Joey a winner. It was a nice team effort.”

TIM Doyle continued his fine week with Simply Sideways landing the Nire Valley Handicap by three-quarters of a length.

Owned by his wife, Claire, the five-year-old was returned a 9/2 chance. Doyle said: “She hasn’t run a bad race all year and is a cracker. That’s her third win this year and hasn’t been out of the money.

“My worry was stepping up in grade and whether she would be able to travel with them but Sean (Bowen) said she was at her ease and travelled all the way. The extra distance seemed to suit her and she goes on any ground.

“Sean is great value for his 7lb claim and is a smashing rider. He has now had six rides for us and four winners. My horses have that little edge at the moment and are running great.”

Repeat win

Dazzling Spirit was only third reserve for the mile, furlong and a half St Patrick’s Well Handicap but after securing a run in the race, the Thomas Mullins-owned/trained mare repeated her win of 12 months ago.

After making rapid headway to lead entering the straight, the 13/2 chance went on to win by three lengths.

Mullins said: “Mine are running in-and-out and I was disappointed with her the last day in Killarney but the handicapper dropped her 4lb. She was third-reserve and only got in late in the morning at 10.00am, after we had given her a little blow-out. She is as fit as a flee though and being a slow starter, we gave her a jump (from stalls) before coming racing at 12pm and it helped.”

The concluding John Thomas McNamara Series (Q.R.) Handicap over two miles and half a furlong saw Molly Hall cause an 18/1 upset under a fine ride from young Cal Shine.

Having made most of the running on the Mrs Caroline Taylor-owned mare, Shine held enough in reserve to score by three lengths.

Winning trainer Barry Fitzgerald said: “She ran okay the last day when she got outpaced in Navan and I thought she was going to finish last but she stayed going.

“I saw this race last week and she was nine on the ballot to get in so I was lucky to get her in, especially being lowly-rated. She is a hardy devil, relaxed in front and Cal Shine gave her a good ride and did what I asked him to do. She’ll jump hurdles in time but we’ll look for a similar handicap next.”