IT’S next stop Irish Champions Festival for the progressive three-year-old Lord Massusus (11/2), who proved a cut above his rivals in the feature Group 3 Bahrain Turf Club Desmond Stakes at Leopardstown on Thursday evening.

The Joe Murphy-trained gelding was supplemented for the rescheduled Group 2 Minstrel Stakes, run at this track last month, but could only manage seventh. However Murphy felt there were excuses for him then, and racing over a furlong further, he proved a bit of a revelation.

Smartly

Breaking smartly, Gary Carroll held him up when the pace got hot around him.When asked to make ground on the turn, the John Bourke-owned three-year-old picked up really well and significantly, the gaps came for him at the right times, as the falling back Pretreville came out of his way, allowing him to come up the inside of firstly Mutasarref and then the favourite Alfred Munnings, who had initially looked like the winner once he hit the front before the furlong pole.

“We got him switched off today,” Murphy said. “We were disappointed with him the last day but things didn’t go right for him, he pulled too hard.

“The fast pace suited him today and he won like a good horse. It was a very good performance.

“He has won five now, and for a three-year-old against the older horses, that was good. The day he ran in the listed race (fourth to Bold Discovery at the Curragh), when he was running on, it was good ground that day, so I’d say he’s versatile in that regard.

“We can look forward to the big meeting here now where he’ll go for the Boomerang Stakes.”

The opening seven-furlong Manguard Plus Claiming Race went to the favourite Is That Love (2/1) who provided an immediate return on investment for owner-trainer John Nallen who had claimed him out of a Killarney contest on his previous run.

In a messy finish to the seven-furlong contest in which Tim Doyle’s runner Van Krolock unseated Oisin McSweeney early in the straight, the winner had to be rerouted after he became the meat in a James McAuley-trained runner sandwich.

Bowen did well in the circumstances, going around Tai Sing Yeh to secure a run up the rail, and he was probably value for more than the winning margin of three quarters of a length.

He was claimed by Pat Sweeney to go into training with Co Donegal-based Declan McGuigan afterwards while the fourth home Ampeson was claimed by Gavin Cromwell for himself.

OWNER Mark Phelan is having a great time of it this season, and he was in the winner’s enclosure again through the Mick Halford and Tracy Collins-trained Kampala Beach (11/1), who was weaved through the field in the straight by Ronan Whelan to win the first division of the Human League Playing Life After Racing Handicap comfortably.

Whelan’s initial move to his left in the straight hampered a couple of rivals which prompted a stewards’ inquiry. The result was never in doubt but the rider did pick up a six-day ban for careless riding.

“It’s our third visit here but he had very wide draws the other days and it sort of didn’t work out for him and horses in that bracket generally need things to go right,” Halford said. “Having a good draw was ideal for him and it opened up for him in the straight.

“I’m delighted for Mark Phelan. He’s a great supporter of racing, and he had a good win in Galway, with Dermot’s horse Couer D’Or. He’s had horses with us a long time so I’m delighted to get him a winner. I’d say that sort of trip, and even another furlong wouldn’t worry him too much but the draw was important on the night.”

The second division of the nine-furlong contest went to the Andrew Kinirons-trained Celebrating Ethel (10/1), who defied a wide draw and top weight to get off the mark at the sixth time of asking. The Jim Browne-owned filly raced prominently for Luke McAteer off what seemed a hot pace set by Smaoineamh Sile and Mary Makebelieve, but only the favourite Morning Approach got into the race from further back, and once she hit the front at the furlong pole, she always looked likely to hold on.

“Luke gave her a brilliant ride,” Kinirons said. “It was her first handicap the last day and he taught her plenty there. He suggested dropping her back in trip and it worked well. She is a game filly and will improve a lot from that so we’re delighted.

“It’s great to have another winner for the Brownes, they’re big supporters of us. I wasn’t that happy with my horses at the beginning of the season, I’m probably jumping on the bandwagon with the oilseed rape, but we had some near us, it’s a big problem.”

Fell nicely

Everything fell nicely for the Henry de Bromhead-trained Barbrapapa (15/2) in the seven-furlong Unio Employee Benefits Handicap.

Jamie Powell had the Kieran Haughey and Kieran Byrne-owned gelding in a prominent position, and in a race that wasn’t strongly run, they had a great position going into the straight, hit the front at the one-furlong pole and always looked to be holding the late challenge of Half Nutz, who motored home from the back of the pack on the outside.

“Delighted with him,” said Powell. “The drop down to seven furlongs suited him today, as myself and Mr de Bromhead thought he would stay the trip well.

“We steadied up in front the whole way around so I got a lovely tow into the race and when I got by Dylan (Browne McMonagle on long-time leader Who Not What), my lad really picked up and he hit the line well, probably won with a bit in hand.”

THE Irish leg of the Longines Fegentri World Championship went to America, as Elizabeth Scully led Barnacullia (2/1) to a comfortable win in the closing one-mile-seven-furlong contest.

Mick Mulvany’s gelding always looked to be travelling powerfully for Scully, and while the race looked open early in the straight, it was soon over once he got into full throttle, with three and a half lengths the difference between him and Kings Prince, ridden by the Czech Matyus Luka.

The winning rider has an Irish background that goes a long way back, and said after the race: “My horse was very good. He was travelling strong the whole way, doing it very nicely, and I was worried I was doing too much but I just sat against him and waited until we got to the head of the stretch and just gave him a couple of smacks and he just kept finding.

“The track is lovely, it’s great turf, very safe. I love the long straights, we don’t have those at home so it was very nice, a great experience.”

The Fegentri series was established for amateur riders from various countries to compete against each other. There are three different championships and this race was part of an amateur riders’ champion cup, in which gentleman and lady riders compete against each other.

Rock

Aidan O’Brien’s Chief Little Rock was sent off 3/10 favourite for the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden but had to pull out all the stops to get the better of the front-running Kinesiology.

Ryan Moore tracked the Jessica Harrington-trained runner into the straight but he didn’t get his colt in front until the last 50 yards, with the pair pulling clear of the remainder.

“Ryan just said he’s still very babyish,” O’Brien said of the Galileo colt, who had finished second over the same course and distance on his debut. “He said he didn’t know what to do even after having a run, and he said he always felt he was going to win but he said he was very green with him. He said he felt like a horse who was going to improve a lot so we won’t rush him.”

Finally Up

Up And Under (4/9 favourite) gained a well overdue win when just clinging on from challenges on either side of him in the nine-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

Joseph O’Brien’s colt had finished second on three of his four starts this season, two of those efforts coming in the Listed Ballysax and Group 3 Derby Trial at 10 furlongs at this course, prompting a rating of 105.

He had disappointed at Galway in what looked a weak maiden on his previous run and while he was unconvincing again here, just getting the better of Thissongisforyou and Cormac T, he will be much better back over further.

“His form has been rock solid,” Mikey Sheehy said of the Go Racing Ltd-owned colt. “Coming right back down in trip to a ‘mile and one’ today probably wasn’t ideal but he did what he had to do. He’s a big baby still. He is not the easiest ride and he is learning the whole time.”