THE ground was soft for the first day of Ballinrobe’s July fixture where a seven-race flat card saw Shane Foley notch a double which he completed on all-the-way winner Brewel Hill (9/2) in the Tote Guarantee Available On-Course Handicap.

Trained for the An Stil Beatha Syndicate by Peter McCreery, the Sageburg gelding held on well in the extended nine-furlong contest to beat Sirjack Thomas by three-quarters of a length.

Foley said: “I was getting it easy in front and I knew it was going to take a fair one to get by me because he’s very genuine.

“There’s one or two races in him every year, he struggles when he goes up the ratings a bit, when he drops him it’s the other way around.”

Foley’s first winner was well-supported 2/1 favourite Presence in the Tote Never Beaten By SP Maiden.

Quickened away

Having tracked the leaders, the daughter of New Bay quickened away in the final furlong to sweep home by three and a half lengths from Tanazadia.

Trainer Jessica Harrington, who trains the winner for owner/breeder Harriet Jellett, said: “It’s a couple of years since I’ve been here but I love Ballinrobe, it’s always a good atmosphere and they do a wonderful job.

“The rain that fell probably played to her strengths and, also, the trainer kind of got it wrong. I was running her over a little bit too far and bringing her back to a mile and one and a bit is obviously what she likes.

“She did it well and will go for a fillies’ handicap now. Harriet had never been to Ballinrobe before, so she did the driving and I did the navigating!”

SHANE Foley was narrowly denied a treble in the Download The New Tote App Maiden when front-runner Stariam was collared in the shadows of the post by the Ben Coen-partnered Suprise Package (10/1).

Winner of the Imperial Cup in 2022, Paul Leech’s eight-year-old had been runner-up in the corresponding contest a year ago and went one better by a nose.

Trainer Peter Fahey said: “He’s a very good horse who’s had plenty of injuries.

Bad injury

“He got a very bad injury after winning over hurdles at Cork on the Monday after Galway last year, and the plan is that he’ll go back there for the same race.

“Ben thinks he’ll go on and be a nice flat horse and hopefully he’ll get into some of those nice handicaps at the end of the year.”

La Dame Blanche (7/2), who had landed the Cork Derby on her penultimate start, resumed winning ways for trainer Willie Ross with a tough display in the featured Tote Guarantee Available On-Course Handicap.

Keen in the early stages, she settled better once Ronan Whelan allowed her to stride on after half a mile and was not for passing thereafter as she held Mr Lincoln by a length and a half.

No chances

Whelan said: “The owner Dermot Kilmartin does a lot of the work with her and took no chances, he took her down to the start early and got her relaxed.

“She can just be a bit over-anxious. She was kind of fighting me so I left her go on.

“She wings around these tracks and once I got a fill into her down the back, I was always confident I’d stay going.”

TOM Mullins took the training plaudits when former Grade 2 juvenile hurdle winner Rocky Blue (9/1), who hadn’t been seen for almost four years before unseating rider over flights on his return at Punchestown in June, bolted up in the Tote Fantasy Apprentice Handicap.

Dropped in by Jack Cleary, the nine-year-old travelled all over his rivals when looming large approaching the straight and went away to readily account for Itsalonglongroad by three lengths.

Mullins said of his wife Helen’s winner: “He was always a nice horse but is straight in front and has had tendon issues. Every time we tried to bring him back, he’d tweak it again. You’d kick the door and be in bad humour for a day, but when they’re good you’ll keep going with them.

“He was more ready than I thought and has popped up, but it was really just trying to get a blow into him for Galway where he’ll either go for another flat race or for a hurdle on the Friday.”

Galway is also firmly on the agenda of the Tote Now Online At Tote.ie Handicap winner Dont Do Dramas.

In front early under Wesley Joyce, the 2/1 favourite was headed entering the back straight but wrestled back the initiative off the home turn to score by two and a quarter lengths from Jack Spriggins.

Trainer Michael Mulvany said: “The lads (AJ Partnership) want a winner in Galway and that has been the plan all year. I actually thought he might need the run here tonight.

“He handles soft ground well and I think he’ll make a lovely three-year-old hurdler.”

Repeated success

It was all very straightforward for 11/8 favourite Magnetic North as he repeated last year’s success in the Tote.ie Claiming Race

Dylan Browne McMonagle sat in the box seat before sending his mount on three furlongs out to score by seven lengths from Quick Blessing.

Trainer Ian Donoghue said of his father Michael’s nine-year-old: “He’s a very easy horse to train, the less you do with him, the better.

“There’s another claimer for him in Sligo the week after Galway. Dylan’s father John owns part of him and wasn’t able to be here today. He’s mad keen to have a photo on the mantelpiece of himself and Dylan after a winner, so hopefully that might happen at Sligo!”