KING Cuan provided the Red Lily Racing Syndicate with another big payday at Naas when justifying odds of 4/5 in the €120,000 Irish EBF Auction Series Race Final.

The 15-strong syndicate, who were also celebrating at the same venue last month after the €100,000 Goffs Sportsman’s Challenge, were again out in force and gave the Tasleet colt and Billy Lee a raucous reception back into the winner’s enclosure.

The Paddy Twomey-trained juvenile travelled well early in the straight but, after leading about a furlong out, needed to be driven out to hold the rallying Duplantis by a head.

“The fun he’s after giving that syndicate has been brilliant and that roar you wouldn’t usually get on the flat,” said Lee before adding: “The race didn’t go as smooth as I wanted – I thought they would go a bit more of a gallop and I was trapped wide.

“He was just getting a bit lonely in front and on that ground (soft, soft to heavy in places) you are never going to be ultra impressive. He gets seven well which opens up options for next year and is a game little horse.”

There was total prize money of €370,000 on this eight-race card, and Joseph O’Brien and Dylan Browne McMonagle took a decent chunk when teaming up for a big race 96/1 double via Prairie Dancer and Dancing Tango.

Prairie Dancer adopted typical front-running tactics in the €90,000 Colm White Bookmaker November Handicap and the dual-purpose gelding, owned in partnership by Sean Sweeney and Kieran O’Hare and now the winner of seven races, gamely held on by a diminishing head from Stoke The Fire with the always prominent Flamborough just half-a-length away in third.

“He’s so consistent and loves getting to the front. I just kept filling him up and he found plenty up the straight. He’s really genuine and I’m delighted for the lads who really got a good kick out of it,” said Browne McMonagle of the 12/1 winner.

There was a sting in the tail for the winning rider as he picked up a total of six days suspension - four for using his whip with excessive frequency and two more for weighing in 1.1lb overweight.

Tango has the right moves

DANCING Tango, owned and bred by Fishdance Limited, had to come from well off the pace in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Bluebell Stakes.

The well-backed 13/2 shot made good headway after being switched out over two furlongs out and led inside the final 100 yards to beat Azazat by a length and a quarter.

Rider Dylan Browne McMonagle said: “I was a little bit sluggish away and the pace was strong for the first five or six furlongs even for the grade we were in.

“I let her find her feet and I knew she would come home well, it was just a matter of getting a clean run. She’s an improving filly and was really tough today.”

Jessica Harrington, who saddled Glamorously to win the Birdcatcher Nursery on Saturday, continued a good weekend when Curvature made virtually all in the other listed race on the card, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Garnet Stakes.

Well-judged

Gary Carroll judged the fractions well from the front on the 13/2 shot, and while English raider Good Gracious looked a threat a furlong out, the Newtown Anner Stud homebred daughter of Lope De Vega kept on strongly to beat that rival by a length and three quarters.

“She loves that if she can get onto the lead and she’s learning now. She was too fresh in Listowel but today she was really good and it’s great to get that big blacktype,” said Jessica Harrington.

“She was only cruising in front but it’s a long way home here in the straight and she kept on really well.”

Do So does the job for O’Callaghan

MICHAEL O’Callaghan’s move to a new yard near Dunlavin this year has certainly worked out well and he recorded a season best total of 21 winners after Do So Do justified 15/8 favouritism in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.

The daughter of Kodiac was never too far from the pace and after battling it out with newcomer Ebanza inside the final furlong, just got the better of that rival by a head.

“Colin (Keane) said she was game and is still learning. She got through that ground and he thinks she’ll improve another bit.

“I’d say she’ll be put away now until next spring and she could be a nice sprinter. That’s the first filly I’ve had for Eleanora (Kennedy) so I’m delighted that she’s won for her,” said O’Callaghan.

Goal Exceeded (7/2) appreciated the drop back to six furlongs when opening his account at the third attempt in the Tifrums Irish EBF (C&G) Maiden.

Quickened

Trained by John O’Donoghue for Hasan Mefareh Alajmi and Fawzi Abdulla Nass, the Iffraaj colt soon edged left towards the far rail after quickened to the front over a furlong out but kept on well to beat Take Me To Church, who finished with good effect, by three quarters of a length.

“He travelled nice and you could see the last day he was crying out for the drop back in trip,” said winning rider Ronan Whelan.

“It showed how good he is as I came up the worst of the ground, it’s way better on the rail. He’s quite a big, scopey horse who loved them conditions and he could be a nice horse for next spring.”

Bottler’secret, winner of a maiden on soft ground at the Galway Festival, followed up in the mile and two furlongs TRM – GNF Ensuring Gut Health Handicap, with the 14/1 chance getting on top in the closing stages for Ben Coen to beat Immutable by a length and a quarter.

Took time

“This was the plan after Galway, we took our time and the ground came for us. We felt the step up in trip was going to help him and he’s a very progressive horse.

“He was to go to the sales in Newmarket next week and if not he could run in Galway at the end of the month,” said Ciaran Murphy, who trains the Dragon Pulse gelding for his wife Emily.

Teddy O’Neill caused a 25/1 surprise in the Tote Never Beaten By SP Apprentice Handicap, asserting inside the final 100 yards for Tom Kiely-Marshall to beat the front-running La Dame Blanche by three lengths.

“He’d been off a good while and had some health issues due to rapeseed but we knew the ground was right for him today,” explained owner/trainer Donal Kinsella.

La Dame Blanche’s rider Sean Bird was handed a three-day ban for using his whip with excessive frequency.