A CRACK at one of the Galway Festival’s major prizes could be on the cards for Branch Line who showed a fine attitude to bag the Croom House Stud Rated Race on an evening where the red-hot Billy Lee ran riot with a treble.
Andy Slattery has always held Branch Line in some regard and high-class company could beckon for this son of Rip Van Winkle. In the meantime, Galway looks the foremost objective for the 4/1 chance who came here off a respectable third in a smart Curragh conditions race last time.
Branch Line looked held in third just inside the last quarter of a mile of this near seven-furlong contest as the front-running Music Box and Ma Fee Heela settled down to do battle. To his considerable credit though, Killian Leonard’s mount forced his way between horses in the closing stages to prevail by a length.
“He’s a big horse and he just fell asunder when we gelded him last November but he’s strengthening up now,” said Slattery, who trains the winner for his wife Mary. “I think he will be a group horse but that will be next year. He might now go for the Colm Quinn BMW Mile Handicap at Galway.”
Killian Leonard then followed-up on Thomond O’Mara’s Avalanche (13/2) in the Ballyduane Stud Handicap. The grey was just 4lb higher than when scoring at Cork the previous Sunday and turned in a willing effort as he stepped up in grade. Avalanche was under pressure sooner than many of his rivals but came with a sustained charge from the turn-in to pip Tuesday night’s winner, Old Time Waltz, in the final strides.
“He’s healthy and enjoying his racing and he’s getting it together. I’d imagine he’ll head to Killarney in July,” reported O’Mara, who trains the eight-year-old for his wife Roisin.
The rest of the evening belonged to Billy Lee whose treble concluded on Willie McCreery’s Lovemenot (5/4) in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden. The Godolphin-owned filly seemed sure to score when she moved several lengths clear of the field early in the last furlong of this near mile and a half contest.
However, she needed the line badly late on as Pearl Of The West, who switched sharply left to avoid being tightened up against the rail, charged home to lose out by just a short-head. The drama didn’t end there as Pearl Of The West was then demoted to third behind Alaykha (beaten a further short-head) as the latter was hampered by Pearl Of The West when she switched out early in the last furlong.
Pearl Of The West’s rider Dylan Hogan picked up a one-day careless riding ban.
“She deserved that after two good runs and, being a Teofilo, she appreciated the switch to better ground,” declared McCreery. “She quickened well but she’s still green and has a bit of strengthening up to do so we’re in no rush with her.”
MONEY-SPINNER
Earlier, the Lee-ridden Alans Pride, who has been a fine money-spinner for his owners Charlie Maguire and Alan Devine since being picked up for €2,000 last November, routed his opponents in the near seven-furlong claimer. Now a dual winner and placed another six times from 13 starts for trainer Richard O’Brien, the 11/8 favourite defeated Guanabara Bay by three and three-quarter lengths.
“He did it very well as he was meeting a few of these wrong at the weights,” reflected trainer O’Brien, who registered his first success when this gelding won at Dundalk in January.
“This is my local track and my first winner here so I’m delighted. He’s been a very tough, sound horse and has been a fun horse for the lads who own him.”
MIDDLE LEG
Joseph O’Brien supplied the middle leg of Lee’s treble as the 12/1 shot Amenette upstaged some better fancied rivals in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Fillies Maiden. The Harry McCalmont-owned juvenile, who showed definite promise behind Too Familiar at Navan earlier in the season, led at the furlong pole and kept on well to deny a slew of late challengers.
At the line, Amenette had three-quarters of a length to spare over Navajo Dreamer.
“Her form wasn’t bad and Joseph was happy with her coming into this – he said she would love the ground,” reported Lee. “She quickened well and kept going well and hopefully there’s more to come from her.”
St Lawrence Gap continued Eoin Doyle’s excellent run of form by dominating the extended two-mile handicap. As he looked to follow up a Leopardstown handicap triumph, the Ross Coakley-ridden gelding had to shoulder top-weight and he lined up off a career-high rating of 77 but he relished the step up to this trip.
The 3/1 favourite cruised into contention on the approach to the straight and asserted nearing the furlong pole to pull nearly five lengths clear of Wrap Star.
“He bounces off that ground and the longer trip of today’s race suited him well. He’s a horse that would be suited by the hustle and bustle of Galway,” observed Coakley of the South East Racing Club-owned winner.
Anthony McCann’s Konig Hall (12/1) recorded his first win in almost two years as he came out the right side of a cracking finish to the Grant Thornton Apprentice Handicap. Over the last furlong and a half the Conor McGovern-ridden winner and the well-backed Papal Motel battled up front and they were inseparable before a dogged Konig Hall shaded the bobbing finish by a short-head.
The winner is owned by Rita Shah and Colm Murphy.
ACTING STEWARDS
J. Powell, H. Williams, J. McGuire, P. McLernon, P.D. Matthews
Horse To Follow
EMERALD EYE (A. Slattery): She followed up an encouraging debut at Cork five days previously with a close third in the two-year-old maiden won by Amenette. With better luck she might have won and her turn shouldn’t be long in coming.