TORRENTIAL rain caused the abandonment of racing halfway through an eight-race card but not before decisive wins for both Term Of Endearment and Clever And Cool in the featured stakes races.

Term Of Endearment was one of six runners to splash their way around the mile and a half circuit in the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Give Thanks Stakes, with Shamida and (ironically named) Endless Sunshine both withdrawn due to the testing conditions.

The daughter of Sea The Moon, trained by Henry de Bromhead for Carmel Acheson, was ridden to lead well over a furlong out and kept on strongly under Colin Keane to beat the front-running Library by four and a quarter lengths with Dancing Tango coming home well just half-a-length further back in third.

“She’s a very game, tough filly and had a very good run at the backend last year behind Yaxeni on very slow ground at Naas,” said Keane of the well-backed 9/2 winner. “She seems to be getting better with racing and is relaxing and giving herself a chance.

“I thought we went a good gallop in the conditions. She ran around a bit but there’s a headwind and it’s very hard work. I’d say she’s a filly that could go a bit further as she’s relaxing.”

More impressive

Clever And Cool was even more impressive in readily beating the odds-on Tarawa in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms Irish EBF Platinum Stakes.

The 94-rated Vocalised filly certainly put up a career-best effort here, quickening to the front under two furlongs out and was soon in command under Rory Cleary stretching right away to beat the 8/13 favourite by all of seven and a half lengths. Cosmic Vega was a further two and a half lengths away in third.

“She won her maiden here so she likes this track. She jumped a little bit slow but settled into a nice position and got through the ground well,” said Cleary of the unconsidered 20/1 shot before adding: “She travelled very strong and picked up nice and smart. She’s been running very consistent but was just a bit unlucky not getting the blacktype but she got it today.”

Trainer Jim Bolger’s travelling head lad Ger Flynn said: “She was slowly away the last day in the Curragh and dwelt a bit again today but she handled the conditions and she’s fit and well. When she gets out and gets involved in a race as she did today, she’s very good.

“She’s been knocking on the door in these type of races and we’re just delighted for Marguerite and all the Bolger family that the filly got blacktype. She handles every kind of ground and won on good to firm in Naas.”

Another long-shot

There was another upset in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden where 16/1 chance Gloucester, trained by Donnacha O’Brien for the Coolmore partners, was produced by Paddy Harnett to lead over 100 yards out for a three-quarters of a length success over Vanity Pays.

Harnett said: “It definitely helped that he had two runs before today and I’m glad that the rain came as he ploughed through it. I half-speeded down to the furlong pole and he quickened away. He was green in front but stayed going forward and hopefully he can progress into stakes races.” Never Shout Never, trained by Fozzy Stack for David Keoghan, justified 100/30 favouritism in the five-furlong handicap, asserting at the furlong pole before keeping on strongly under Jamie Powell to beat Distillate by three and a quarter lengths.

“I spoke to Fozzy and to Joey Sheridan and they were keen on us going forward and not pulling out of him – just get him breathing right,” said Powell. “I knew this lad would get through the ground well as he’s a big, strong horse.”

Surface water leads to abandonment

THE remainder of the card was abandoned just before the fifth race with water visibly lying on parts of the track.

Rain started around lunchtime at the Mallow venue and got progressively heavier throughout the evening. The going was officially described as ‘Yielding, Good to Yielding’ in places for the first race but was soon changed to ‘Soft’ after the opener. ‘Soft to Heavy’ was announced after the Platinum Stakes (Race 3) turning to ‘Heavy’ after the following Give Thanks Stakes.

Clerk of the Course Paul Moloney commented: “The sprint track is level but the round track has a few dips and in the space of half-an-hour the three dips that I walked had filled up with water. It just wasn’t safe.

Rider concerns

“Some of the riders had concerns after three races and we were monitoring the situation. I informed the stewards after Race 4 that they were happy to go and ride in Race 5.

“However, conditions had deteriorated and myself and the course foreman walked down the track and it was obvious it was not safe enough to carry on. It was waterlogged.”

Seamie Heffernan, who finished second aboard Library in the ‘Give Thanks’ and was also due to ride in the following maiden said: “It got a lot worse since the previous race.”