OWNER Mark Dobbin enjoyed quite the afternoon at Naas last Saturday as his colours were carried to two successes and a narrow second placing from three representatives.

The US-based Co Down native started as he was to continue when his Johnny Murtagh-handled Amazing Athena landed the opener.

In the hands of Ben Coen, this daughter of Mehmas left a very ordinary debut effort well in the past to spring a 25/1 surprise in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden. On opposite sides of the track, Amazing Athena finished off best nearest the stands to run down promising newcomer Tempest Star by half a length.

“She has a nice pedigree, her half-sister (Basil Martini) is a Group 3 winner so we’ll try and do something similar with her,” commented Murtagh.

Ger Lyons, trainer of Tempest Star, later brought up the Dobbin double as National Lady came to the rescue of punters after earlier surprises.

Progressive

The 9/4 market leader looks progressive as evidenced by the manner in which she closed out the near six-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap with a flourish, again racing nearside.

Second and third placers, Staysound Susie and Tai Tam Bay, performed with credit but without quite matching National Lady (Colin Keane). Three-quarters of a length and a neck were the margins between the principals at the line.

“It’s nice for Mark having a double today, he deserves it as he puts a lot into the game so I’m delighted for him having a winner in the first with Johnny even though it beat us,” reflected Lyons in the aftermath.

Andrew Slattery, rider of the aforementioned Staysound Susie, reported that his mount hung left under pressure.

ANOTHER jockey to come back in and inform the clerk of the scales that their mount hung was Gary Carroll following the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Race on Shiota.

She may have leaned “badly right late on” but it didn’t impede her winning run.

The 40/1 victory for Shiota for Joe Murphy, Gerard Kervick and Crampscastle Bloodstock Ltd, initiated a brace for Carroll, and it came in at odds in excess of 265/1.

Local pilot Carroll was to set the ball rolling on a productive afternoon, getting Shiota up close home to edge out Elzem by a head. Meanwhile, No Return made a very encouraging beginning to his career, with a strong finishing third place, another head back.

Following on from Amazing Athena, Shiota gave a further boost to the form of a Cork maiden landed by the exciting Babouche last month, having also begun there.

Best in a long time

“She had an education in Mallow. I think she’s more of a three-year-old, she’s after stretching since Mallow and getting a bit light but she’s growing like mad. I think seven furlongs will be ideal,” said Murphy. “I thought the race in Cork was the best two-year-old race I’d seen in a long time. The last winner was behind us and that gave me a good feeling coming into this.

“We’ll see how she comes out of it but you have the Silver Flash and the Moyglare at the end of the season. The reason she ran here was to get a feeling for the Ballyhane Stakes, so we’ll have two bites at the cherry.”

Empress Alma (8s into 11/2) delighted the Kildare rider’s many supporters at this venue, as she rounded off the Carroll two-timer in the Care At Home Services Handicap.

The 34-year-old powered Empress Alma to the front well inside the final furlong to account for pacesetter Simple Endeavour by a length and a quarter.

Successful handler Gavin Cromwell also had a winner at Bellewstown on the day. He does the training on Empress Alma for his wife Kiva, and she owns the three-year-old in conjunction with Carmel Yore, Darren Cahill and Eoin Hughes.

THE only occasion through the session in which the Mark Dobbin green and white livery was to come up short was when Viking Invasion lost out by a head to Swagman in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

Dobbin owns Viking Invasion with Edelle Logan, and their Mehmas colt looks one to keep on side. Swagman (15/8 favourite) just prevailed in a finish where less than three-quarters of a length split the first four.

Swagman did the needful for the Coolmore partners, trainer Aidan O’Brien and 7lb apprentice Jack Cleary.

The Michael Tabor colours were carried to another win 35 minutes later, this time by a runner for O’Brien’s son, Joseph. Sales-bound Surfers Paradise (15/2) got it done by a length and three-quarters, as Mikey Sheehy deputised in the plate for an unwell Declan McDonogh. The triumphant owners also supplied the runner-up in Democracy (7/2) in this TRM Supplements - Power Your Performance Rated Race.

“The ability is there but he’s always kind of been knocking on the door. I’d say gelding him has done the trick,” reasoned stable representative Sean Corby. The winner was sold for 62,000gns at Tattersalls on Wednesday.

Blanket finish

As a 40/1 chance Akeela may not have landed the Lily & Wild Amazing Apprentice Handicap to universal acclaim. The outsider’s half-length verdict in a blanket finish to the large field sprint was very well received by the Cahills in Carrick-On-Suir though, as trainer Mark has care of the four-year-old for his brother Paul.

Another big-priced contender, Cross Border (28/1) did best of the rest, with Akeela finding enough close home to shed her maiden tag with Cian Horgan up top.

At an improvement in form inquiry the trainer stated that his charge over raced in the early stages of its previous run and that today’s fast pace allowed her to settle and finish out her race well. That explanation was noted by the raceday stewards.