LAST year’s jockeys’ championship runner-up Billy Lee completed a second career four-timer at Cork on Friday where he steered a double for trainer Paddy Twomey with two as yet unbeaten fillies. The pair began by winning the Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden with newcomer A Lilac Rolla (7/1) who scored impressively for the Mutual Admiration Society Partnership, by two lengths from Nikki Swango.

Afterwards Twomey said: “I thought she was ready to run today and she just missed the kick and just went through the gears.

“Being by Harry Angel, that’s why I wanted to start her at six (furlongs) but I’d say she will be able to step up in distance and she is a lovely mover. She came from Fairyhouse (sales) and there is a €300,000 sales race for her on Champions Weekend at the Curragh so we will aim for that.”

Twomey’s Vain Gloria (4/9 favourite, for owners Stanley Watson and Trevor Stewart) followed up a recent Killarney debut success with a second in the Buy Tickets Online Median Auction Race, holding on to defeat faster-finishing runner-up Kayhana by a half-length.

Twomey said: “We have had Vain Gloria since she was a yearling and she has now run twice in 10 days which mightn’t have been the plan originally.

“I ran another Kodi Bear filly in this race last year, which had won at Ballinrobe, but had the first and second in the Cambridgeshire in front of me so said we wouldn’t bother this year. However, the race didn’t fill and was reopened at 12.15pm last Monday so I entered.

Great form

“She came out of Killarney great, hadn’t done much between races and seemed in great form. I won’t be in a hurry now but she’ll go for a blacktype race next.”

Jockey Lee had earlier partnered the Ken Condon-trained Gabriella’s Spirit to win the €45,000 Doneraile Premier Handicap, for owner/breeder Con Harrington. Lee had the four-year-old filly racing with the pace throughout and eventually held on by a neck from runner-up Little Queenie.

Condon, from nearby Ballyhea, said: “This is a lovely prize to win and these premier handicaps are hard won. It is nice for Con who bred her and it is a family he knows well.

“She has such a nice pedigree that there is nothing to be lost by looking for blacktype and she could run in the listed Abergwaun Stakes at Tipperary now.”

He added: “Chris Hayes rode her in a four-way tight finish at the Curragh the last day and we decided to go for cheekpieces today. Billy said she enjoyed getting a bit of light and, as it worked out, was on the right side of the draw.”

Lee, who concluded the 2022 Championship with 89 winners, completed his four-timer in the Follow Us On Social Media Handicap (division 1) with the Austin Leahy-trained Linger For Longer (10/1), who scored a maiden success in the colours of Irish Equine Syndicate.

Leahy said afterwards: “She was second reserve and was meant to run tomorrow but I got a phone call at 10.57am (three minutes before the deadline) to say there were two non-runners.

“Billy Lee was the obvious rider as his horse didn’t run and instead of going two and a half hours to Gowran Park, it only took half an hour travelling here!

“It has been a great day as Susan’s 11-year-old daughter Lucia (Keane, granddaughter) won an international show jumping competition at Chepstow today, beating teams from England and Scotland.”

An American in Cork for Hogan

THE second division of the Follow Us On Social Media Handicap, provided late drama as eventual winner American In Paris (14/1) briefly crossed runner-up Teddy Boy in the closing stages but held on for a head success.

The result was left to stand following the inquiry, and provided trainer Denis Hogan with a win for the Fountain Hill Racing Syndicate.

Afterwards winning jockey Joey Sheridan said: “She won in Dundalk one night and had a good run the last day in Naas when Kyle (McHugh) rode her on good ground. We were hoping the ground would dry up for her as good ground is key to her.

“When they go hard like that, you can sit handy and not disappoint her as she puts her best foot forward. That is her trip and her ground.”

Shortest-priced winner was 1/2 favourite Torivega which was hard-held for most of the six-furlongs trip, scoring for trainer Sheila Lavery, brother and owner John Lavery and jockey Robbie Colgan.

Class ride

Afterwards trainer Lavery said: “That was pure relief. Robbie gave him an absolutely class ride as you have to be really ballsy to sit there for so long although he said he wasn’t ballsy enough to sit that way to the line!

‘I’ve been pitching him in at the deep end but I actually learned a lot about him in France (on two recent runs at Deauville).

“He is trying to race too much but is only a three-year-old and actually takes a lot of work. He is hard on himself because he is heavy.”

Regarding Torivega’s Group 2-winning dam Viztoria, she added “Viztoria suckered John (Lavery, brother) into ownership and it was happy days for me. She was a pinhook who we couldn’t sell and it was almost by default that I got into training.

“She has got Invincible Spirit and Sea The Stars foals on the ground and is in-foal to New Bay.”

Asean takes a step up

for Donnacha

ANOTHER homebred to win was the Annemarie O’Brien-owned, Whisperview Trading Ltd-bred Asean (5/2 favourite), which won on handicap debut for Donnacha O’Brien in the Follow Us On Instagram Nursery.

Ridden by Paddy Harnett, the Ten Sovereigns-filly held on for a neck success from Carnegie Hall.

Trainer O’Brien said: “She is a strong filly but isn’t the biggest. She had some very good form and is a decent filly who will step up into listed company now.

“It is nice to get a win into her and she needs quick ground and that’s as slow as she wants it.”

Cheap purchase Quiz Test (14/1) got off the mark in the Racing Again August 7th Handicap for owner Brenda Byrne, trainer and husband Sean Byrne and jockey James Ryan.

The Footstepsinthesand colt was held up off the pace but eventually improved to lead in the final furlong, beating Givemefive by three-quarters of a length.

Handy money

Sean Byrne junior, representing his father, said: “I work for Jessica Harrington and we picked him up from her for handy enough money last winter and gelded him which helped, as he had his mind on other things.

“We bought him to go hurdling as his half-brother Futurem Regem stayed two and a half miles over hurdles and I think there is another bit of improvement in him, so we might aim for another flat race. We only have four horses in training at the moment but do a lot of pre-training for the Harringtons and are busy at that. I spend mornings in Harringtons and evenings at home.”