CHAMPION jumps trainer Willie Mullins has made a habit of plundering big staying prizes on the flat in recent years, and Digeanta added to the Closutton maestro’s tally by taking the Tote Irish Cesarewitch.
The eight-year-old gelding, owned in partnership by Toronto doctor Peter Moran and locally-based Michael McDonnell’s Colland Sand & Gravel company, made virtually all under Billy Lee to provide Mullins with his second win in this two-mile test, six years after the victory of Dani California.
The 16/1 chance dug deep for Lee inside the final furlong to shrug off the challenge of Western Boy, and it was the English-trained pair Guard Of Honour and Sea Pride who stayed on best in the closing stages to take second and third respectively.
“He was a bit slow out of the stalls the last day at Leopardstown and never got into a rhythm. The mile and six furlongs was a bit sharp there as well,” explained Lee before adding: “There wasn’t much pace on today so I let him bowl along, and he kept responding. He handled that ground well (officially good, good to firm in places) but he’s the sort of horse that would nearly handle any ground.”
Lee was completing a big race 67/1 double on the card as he also landed the Waterford Testimonial Stakes (for the Defence Forces Trophy) aboard the Ballylinch Stud homebred Fort Del Oro, providing trainer Eddie Lynam with a third successive win in this six-furlong listed race.
The well-backed 3/1 chance was ridden out by Lee inside the final furlong to beat The Happy Prince by a length and a half, while Lynam also saddled the third with Gathering Power.
The Dunshaughlin trainer said: “This has been a lucky race for me. She did it well and will have an entry in the big sprint at Ascot. If she is jumping out of her skin we will probably let her take her chance. I think she will improve from three to four, and she’ll get seven furlongs.”
He added: “I’ve been waiting all year on soft ground for Gathering Power. He could also run at Ascot. It’s soft there at the moment, and soft ground can bring horses together.”
Aidan O’Brien’s strong hand in the juvenile department this season was further exemplified as Best In The World - runner-up in a Gowran Park maiden last month - made a big step forward to justify odds of 4/6 under Ryan Moore in the Listed Staffordstown Stud Stakes.
The sister to Found led inside the final furlong to beat the staying on Dolce Strega by half a length, with Rayisa (who beat the winner at Gowran) the same distance further back in third.
“She came on nicely from Gowran, and will make a lovely middle-distance filly next year. Ryan said she feels like her sister. You would have to be happy with that, and Ryan was kind to her.”
Moore and O’Brien were completing a juvenile double on the card having taken the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden with the well-backed 5/6 favourite Black Sea.
The promising son of Galileo was never far off the pace in this 16-runner event, and asserted a furlong out to beat Red Rannagh by two lengths.
“He’d a nice run in Gowran. He was a bit free going to the start on that occasion, and Seamie (Heffernan) dropped him in and he came home well. He settled well today, and is a nice horse to have going into next year,” said O’Brien.
Variable (5/2) made light of an absence of nearly four months when running out an impressive winner of the other listed race on the card, the mile and a half Go Racing In Kildare Finale Stakes.
Khalid Abdullah’s homebred daughter of Sea The Stars stretched right away under Pat Smullen inside the final furlong to beat Ebayya by three lengths.
Trainer Dermot Weld said: “She did it the way we expected. I’ll speak to Lord Grimthorpe and suggest she is kept in training next year. I was very impressed by the way she won and Pat was very pleased. She’s an immature filly. She was very sore after the Oaks Trial in Naas, and the ground that day was firm. We took our time with her, and she was working exceptionally well.”
David Spratt appears to have a bargain buy on his hands after Synopsis (6/1), bought for 18,000gns a few months ago, gave the Cork owner an immediate payback on his investment by landing the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.
Colin Keane’s mount kept on strongly to beat Melanna by a length and a half, and trainer Ger Lyons’ brother Shane commented afterwards: “David bought her at the Newmarket July Sales out of Roger Varian’s yard. He is a master at picking out horses, and we have always liked her since she has come to us.
“That’s as quick as she would want the ground and as sharp as she would want. I’d say a mile and a half could well be her ideal trip. We’ll try to get some blacktype.”
Johann Bach, trained near Rhode by Patrick Harney for his mother Mary, has proved a tremendous servant to connections and the 9/2 chance completed a hat-trick in the Stephen Quirke Memorial Apprentice Handicap.
The six-year-old son of Oratorio was sent to the front inside the final quarter mile by Donnacha O’Brien to beat Hat Alnasar by a length and a quarter.
Harney said: “He’s done it nicely, and I didn’t go too hard on him since his last win at Galway. He’s been on the go for a while and hopefully we can get another run into him before he gets a break. Dundalk gives us another option, and Donnacha gave him a lovely ride.”
ACTING STEWARDS
L. McFerran, Dr J.F. Gillespie, R. S Martin, Ms J. Farrell, P.D. Matthews
HORSE TO FOLLOW
AWTAAD (K. Prendergast): Travelled well to get into contention after a slow start on debut in the seven-furlong juvenile maiden. Promising first effort and looks sure to improve.