A LOW-KEY flat card on a wet afternoon at Killarney hit the headlines for the wrong reasons when easy Tote.ie Handicap ‘winner’ Ano Manna was disqualified as a stablemate ran in her place.

What was ostensibly Ano Manna quickened well to win the mile three-year-old handicap but some minutes later, an objection under Rule 262, which relates to a horse’s identity being called into question, was lodged by the raceday stewards.

Following an inquiry it was established that trainer Johnny Feane’s other runner at the meeting, four-year-old filly Indigo Five, was incorrectly saddled and raced as Ano Manna.

Ano Manna was subsequently disqualified and declared a non-runner with the Donagh O’Connor-partnered Bang Po, trained by Ross O’Sullivan for Mark Gittins and Conor Brett, subsequently deemed the winner.

Feane later explained: “I was delayed in traffic getting to the racecourse but the wrong horse raced. I arrived 10 minutes late and I noticed immediately down at the stable yard after the race that the wrong horse had been tacked up.

“In fairness to my lads they are similar-looking horses but it is my fault. I’m not blaming anyone only myself - Jessica Harrington was fined €2,000 for a similar incident in 2021 and I’ve been fined €3,000 but I’m not going to appeal.

Unfortunate

“It was just an unfortunate series of events, it is history now and people study history to study why things go wrong. At point-to-points we scan all horses entering the parade ring and maybe in the future it might help to do the same on racecourses, rather than just scanning the winner afterwards.

“I’ll have to put it behind me and move forward but I’d like to apologise to all the punters and to my owners.”

Simpson’s success

The well-bred Simpson’s Paradox (10/3) opened his account with a rallying success in the Download The New Tote App Median Auction Maiden.

The brother to Alpha Centauri made the running but dropped to third at the furlong pole before coming with a renewed effort to beat Time To Soar by half a length

Scott McCullagh was on board for Jessica Harrington and said of the Niarchos family’s three-year-old: “He has been a bit frustrating as he works well at home but the blinkers did the trick.

“It was quite testing but got through the conditions well. I thought two furlongs down he wasn’t going to win but he fought and went through the line well.”

Harrington and McCullagh completed a double when 15/2 chance Timeless Piece landed the Tote, Never Beaten By SP Apprentice Handicap.

The Edelle Logan-owned daughter of Saxon Warrior came with a steady run down the outer to lead early in the final furlong. Despite edging left, she did enough to fend off the persistent challenge of Yamalia Star by a head and kept the race after a stewards’ inquiry.

THE well-backed 5/2 joint-favourite Rubydooby, sixth in a Naas maiden on her only start for Johnny Murtagh, returned from over a year off to land the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.

Now in the care of Paddy Twomey, Vimal Khosla’s three-year-old tracked the leaders under Bill Lee and came through to lead over a furlong out before staying on well to beat Hey Whatever by a length and three quarters.

Twomey said: “She is a well-bred filly and I’m delighted with the way that went. I was hoping she’d run well. She is a Dubawi and is out of a sister to Together Forever and Forever Together and is closely related to City Of Troy so it is important she has won her maiden.”

Dream Escape (9/5) readily beat four rivals in the four-year-olds and upwards to provide rising star Conor Stone-Walsh with another winner.

The red-hot 7lb claimer had his mount to the fore throughout and the Iffraaj gelding went clear over a furlong out to beat Rick Dalton by three and a quarter lengths.

Winning trainer Tom Mullins said: “He handles good ground so well that we were afraid of the ground but we were confident enough.

“He’ll go hurdling - that’s the plan and he’s the first winner for the Fill My Glass Syndicate who are five women from Tinryland, Co Carlow, who couldn’t be here but will be delighted.”

GAMBE Veloci relished the rain-softened underfoot conditions in the Tote Now Online At Tote.ie Handicap and registered a decisive five-length victory in the hands of Wayne Hassett.

The latter brought the Caravaggio grey wide in the straight and the four-year-old picked up well to sweep to the front over a furlong out before stretching clear to win from No More Porter.

Gambe Veloci is trained for the Annus Mirabilis Syndicate by Joseph O’Brien. Stable representative and recently-retired jockey Shane Crosse remarked: “Wayne rides very well and gave him a lovely ride.

“It is very tough going and this fella loves these conditions. Ground is the key to him and I’m sure Joseph will pop him out quickly again while we are getting rain.”

O’Brien in Force

It was also a good afternoon for Donnacha O’Brien who enjoyed a memorable half-hour with Porta Fortuna’s Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes victory coming hot on the heels of Naval Force’s debut success in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

The latter headed Chantilly a furlong out and raced away to score by three and a quarter lengths in the colours of Atlantic Thoroughbreds.

Rider Gavin Ryan said: “He barrier trialled well on fast ground but we always knew he liked a dig in the ground. It was tough conditions today and he relished it.

“Being by Churchill, they come into their own at this time of year, they go on slow ground and without a doubt he could be stakes class.”