HINT Of A Tint’s impressive resurgence continued apace in the Tote Irish Cambridgeshire as she bagged her second premier handicap victory of the season.
The David Wachman-trained five-year-old, who showed some quality form at three before losing her way last year, made a winning reappearance in the Topaz Mile at Galway.
That success saw her lumbered with a 9lb rise in the weights but she made light of her revised mark to triumph in the style of one that could hold her own at stakes level before the end of the season.
Fran Berry took the mount on the Sue-Ann Foley-owned daughter of Danehill Dancer and Hint Of A Tint travelled notably well at all stages.
Indeed Fran Berry was still sitting motionless inside the last quarter of a mile while most of his rivals were hard at work.
The 10/1 chance was just pushed out to strike the front early in the last furlong and she kept on well to defeat the three-year-old and well-backed favourite Portage by a length and three-parts. Bold Thady Quill took third with Champagne Or Water completing the placings.
“She did it nicely and the ease in the ground helped her,” stated Frank Berry. “I thought the few pounds she got for Galway might trouble her but you couldn’t have asked for more from her.
“David has done a great job to get her back. She’s won two nice races now this season and I’d say we’ll probably keep her in training again next year. We might look at going back into stakes races now.”
outclassed
An excellent day for Fran Berry began when a back to form Bocca Baciata outclassed her opponents in the Group 3 Dance Design Fillies Stakes.
The Flaxman Stables Ireland-owned daughter of Big Bad Bob, whose early season form featured a defeat of Pleascach at Navan, indicated that she will be a formidable contender for big race glory on Irish Champions Weekend.
The strong travelling 11/4 favourite cruised into contention with over a furlong to run and shot clear once she was asked to assert. At the line, Bocca Baciata had four lengths to spare over Easter with Brooch a neck back in third.
“I’m delighted to get her back. It’s been a difficult summer with her,” declared Jessica Harrington. “She loves that ground. She is in the Blandford Stakes here in a couple of weeks but she won’t come here if there is any firm in the ground. She stayed galloping well there and she could go a mile and a half before the end of the season.”
He looked a juvenile of some quality when bolting up on his debut here the previous weekend and Smash Williams more than delivered on that initial promise as he cruised to a smooth win in the Round Tower Stakes.
The Jim Bolger-trained colt faced just four rivals for this six furlongs Group 3 but this still promised to be a demanding assignment as it came just eight days after his debut.
After making a seamless transition to this level Smash Williams looks well equipped to deal with a further rise in class this autumn and he is now as low as 16/1 for next year’s 2000 Guineas.
Smash Williams was still sent off the 6/5 favourite under Kevin Manning as he sported the colours of the Military Syndicate for the first time.
The Fracas colt was always going nicely and the race was as good as over once he strode to the front with over a furlong to run.
The 106-rated Rockaway Valley gave vain chase in the closing stages and finished a length a three-quarters adrift of the winner.
“That was just as good as last week. He’s a quick horse and he settled the race quickly,” reflected Bolger, who will take his time before deciding what route to take with the winner.
“He’s only come on the scene lately so I need to think about where we will go with him. Seven furlongs won’t be a problem for him and I’d rather go six or seven next time rather than jump him straight up to a mile. I wasn’t sure about the slow ground but he seems to go on anything.”
Aidan O’Brien was expected to take the Listed Flame Of Tara Stakes but it was the twice-raced maiden Kind Of Magic (14/1) who upstaged her stable-mate and favourite How High The Moon.
The front-running Kind Of Magic, carrying the colours of Sue Magnier, looked to be in trouble when she lost the lead with well over a furlong to run.
However, she rallied splendidly for Seamus Heffernan to regain the lead from Leafy Shade 100 yards from home. How High The Moon came home well to be nearest at the finish but she was still half a length down at the line.
“They are two lovely fillies and the winner improved a good bit from her last run (fourth to Now Or Never at Galway),” declared O’Brien. “She’s been running over seven furlongs and we felt that she’d improve for the step up to a mile. The second filly was just a bit green but they will be lovely middle-distance fillies for next year.”
favourite
The card got off to a good start for favourite backers as the O’Brien-trained Beacon Rock dug out a most improbable success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden over a mile.
The 5/4 shot, in the colours of Derrick Smith, was under strong pressure from Joseph O’Brien after halfway and was making no impression on leaders entering the last quarter of a mile.
However, Beacon Rock did start to come home well over the last furlong and his sustained charge enabled him to nail the 25/1 shot Precious Gold on the line.
Stellar Mass was just a short-head back in third in a race where the first four home were covered by a quarter of a length.
“He showed that he’s tough and hardy. He’s still babyish and did well to win after looking in trouble at halfway,” said the Ballydoyle trainer of the brother to Wedding Vow.
Tom Gibney notched up his first training success at the Curragh as the Ross Coakley-ridden To Choose recorded the fourth victory of his career in the Derek O’Sullivan Memorial Apprentice Handicap. The Leonard Kinsella-owned and bred winner came with a strong late challenge to overpower Prussian Eagle by half a length.
“He’ll stick to the flat for the time being. I’d love to be able to run him in one of those good handicaps but he’d need to win another one to get into one of those,” stated Gibney.
The improving sprinter Captain Power (7/1) made it three wins from his last four starts in the BAM Ireland Handicap over six furlongs.
The Eddie Lynam-trained and Sabena Power-owned three-year-old had no trouble switching to slow ground and picked up smartly for Robbie Downey to take charge of this race inside the distance.
He contained the effort of Snakes And Ladders by three-parts of a length.
ACTING STEWARDS
L. McFerran, T.L. Crawford, J.P. Barry, P. Molony, P.D. Matthews
HORSE TO FOLLOW
GREAT WIDE OPEN (C. O’Brien): He looked a decidedly unlucky loser when taking fourth in the handicap won by Captain Power. He was repeatedly denied a clear run and with any luck in running he would have won. He won’t have any trouble making his mark in a similar handicap this autumn.