THE Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Albert Frassetto-owned Naval Force (9/4) could be set for a trip to Royal Ascot after winning the €17,700 Irish Stallion Farms EBF 3yo Spring Series Median Auction Race over 10 and a half furlongs.

Gavin Ryan partnered the son of Churchill to a half-length win for Donnacha O’Brien after leading from two out and then getting the better of a battle with Action Plan in the final furlong.

“He’s a big raw horse and he’s never gone right-handed in his life so Gavin did well on him to be fair,” said O’Brien.

“I’d say he only really knew what he was doing in the last furlong so he should improve plenty for that.

“The two options are probably either to go up to stakes company for staying three-year-old races or we’ll look at his rating and we could look at one of the mile-and-a-half three-year-old handicaps at Ascot.”

Naval Force had won on debut at Killarney last September before finishing fourth in Group 3 company at Leopardstown the following month.

Bucked the trend

The Bellewstown Racecourse Apprentice Handicap over a mile and a half was one race that bucked the trend of prominent racers winning when Jabbar (6/1) came with a run up the outside early in the straight for Amy Jo Hayes, and hitting the front a furlong and a half out, kept going to hold on by half a length for trainer Gerard O’Leary and Lance Bloodstock Limited.

“That was a superb ride. Dean Curran is with me now, he won on Jabbar here last year and came from the next parish. I let Dean instruct Amy how to ride the horse and she did exactly what he said,” said O’Leary.

“She restrained him early, as he was a bit free, and got cover. It was a beautiful ride and I’m delighted for her.

“We have the schooling over hurdles done with him and he’ll go for a summer maiden hurdle. There might be another one of these if the ground is easy.”

Stuck to the task

The closing mile and a half maiden the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden went to the Oliver McKiernan-trained Chemdawg (5/1) who, despite rolling about a bit under pressure from Ronan Whelan ran on from over a furlong out to lead in the final strides, and get the verdict by a head from Stariam, who had made all and looked to have a winning advantage early in the straight.

McKiernan’s assistant Tiago Vidal said: “I’m delighted with the filly, Oliver has had plenty of patience with her and it paid off today.

“Ronan gave her a brilliant ride. We’ll see what the handicapper does now and see what the boss thinks is the next step going forward. She’s getting the hang of things very well over hurdles as well.”

RACING opened with another winner for the Harrington yard with Lady O (11/4) in the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden (IRE Incentive Race) over seven and a half furlongs.

Despite hanging towards the middle of the track in the final furlong, she stayed on three-wide to get the better of I Am Me by three quarters of a length as the favourite Elzem faded on the rail.

“That was absolutely lovely because the filly is named after Lady O’Reilly who was in the syndicate and she actually bred her,” said Kate Harrington of the It’s All About The Girls’ syndicate filly. “It’s a lovely touch. We bought her a couple of weeks after she passed away. It wasn’t something that we set about doing but Patrick (Cooper) just fell in love with the filly.

“Being by Australia we didn’t think she’d be out this early but she’s just done everything so easily.

“She’s a lovely filly and we’re very excited. We’ll take one step at a time and see where we go. We won’t talk about Royal Ascot just yet but she could get into the Chesham, I think.”

Theme

Dick Donohoe’s eight-year-old Brains (14/1) was another to follow the theme of the evening, out front, catch me if you can, in the 15-runner www.roscommonracecourse.ie Handicap over the seven and a half furlongs.

Leading into the straight, he was four clear at a time and kept up to his work he never looked like being caught by the closing pack, to win for the 13th time, by two and three quarter lengths under Adam Caffrey.

“He’s a grand horse, he’s been a prolific winner all his life,” said Donohoe.

“We were wondering would he go on soft but he ran well on it in Leopardstown the last day, you need a soft ground horse in this country nowadays!

“(Front-running) is suitable around here all the time. He’s always very straightforward, very quick out and always in front.

“He’s a good fun horse and I’m delighted for the owner Paul Sweeney who is a good supporter of mine.”

IAN Donoghue is turning out the winners under both codes and the widest margin winner of the evening was his Vikki Wall at 25/1 in the 12-runner Next Meeting At Roscommon On Monday, 20th May Handicap (Div II) over seven and a half furlongs.

Owned by Gerard Browne and Matthew Rogers, the chesnut filly made all, was clear three out and ran on well to win unchallenged by four and three-quarter lengths from the favourite Atbay.

“It worked out perfectly, she got an easy lead and I just filled her lungs around the bend,” said winning rider James Ryan. “When I kicked off the bend, I thought it would take something going well to beat me. I’m delighted and thanks very much to Ian.”

Odds-on favourite

The first division of that contest also had 12 runners and had gone to the odds-on favourite Play It Again Zaam (5/6) who scored by a head for Robert Whearty and trainer Conor Maxwell. He came to head Barnhill Rose under two out and held her off in the battle to the line.

“I was delighted to see the rain but at the same time it made it loose. He looked very impressive the last day on real tacky ground as it slows them down,” said Maxwell of the R F O’Brien Racing Syndicate’s gelding.

“Today on looser ground they are able to get going and stay going. It’s nice to get two in a week.”