THE Group 3 Tally-Ho Stud Irish EBF Ballyogan Stakes proved a real tactical triumph for the Fozzy Stack yard with 50/1 shot Shandy leaving punters ‘punch-drunk’ when denying favourite Firebird.

Stack’s two runners, You Send Me and Shandy, were drawn widest of all in stalls 11 and 12 and elected to race on the stands’ side with the remainder of the field keeping to the far side. You Send Me faded inside the final furlong but Shandy kept on strongly under Andrew Slattery getting up close home to score by a head.

“She ran well in the listed race here the last day and won the race on her side. We were drawn 11 and 12 and the middle is the worst place to be, so we took a chance and it worked out,” said Stack who trains the daughter of Starspangledbanner for a partnership including Sue Magnier and Linda Shanahan.

“The ease in the ground helped as she needs an ease in the ground. We tried different things with hoods as she over raced once or twice, and it all came together today.”

Ger’s girls

Ger Lyons looks to have another smart Juddmonte homebred juvenile filly on his hands after Revoke made an impressive debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.

The daughter of Blue Point quickened clear under Colin Keane inside the final furlong to beat Say Yes To Dreams, who showed speed throughout racing alone on the stands’ side, by four and three-quarter lengths.

“Colin said she’s done what we said she’d do at home which is lovely,” said Lyons of the 11/10 favourite. “We’ll just see how she takes this as there is nothing of her and she’s only a 410-kilo filly.

She’ll either come forward from this or she’ll go back so she’ll tell me what to do. Worst case scenario she’ll be in Dundalk for the Mercury or something like that.”

JACK Cleary is making good use of his opportunities with the powerful Ballydoyle team and initiated a 398/1 double on the card when Garden Of Eden (18/1) rallied gamely close home in the opening Irish EBF Median Sires Series Fillies Maiden to beat Celtic Motif by a head.

Chris Armstong, representing Aidan O’Brien, commented: “Jack said she’s very, very tough and kept fighting all the way for him. He set a nice even tempo in front and when challengers came, she picked up and went again. She’ll probably step up to a mile later in the season and is a nice filly to look forward to for next year.”

Late run

Cleary completed his second career double when producing 20/1 chance Chicago Storm with a powerful late run on the stands’ side in division one of the Hartes Group Apprentice Handicap, leading in the closing stages to beat Red Trail by a neck.

“He has plenty of ability but has just taken a bit of working out,” said Chris Timmons, who trains the 20/1 winner for Anthony Carey and Martin Walsh. “I’d say Jack is a young man going places and I told him this horse likes a bit of space, so give him the option to go wide.”

Division two

The second division went to Complete Fiction (11/1) who returned to form for a fourth career victory, getting on top in the final 100 yards under Neve Bennett to beat the Cleary-ridden You Owe Me Money by half a length.

Winning trainer Jarlath Fahey said, “He had a nice run in Leopardstown the other night and bounced out of it well. Neve gave him a great ride and her 7lb claim was a big help. It’s great for Triona (Burbage, owner) who rides him out every day and looks after him.”

There was a sting in the tail for Bennett who picked up a four-day ban for using her whip with excessive frequency.

THE Nigel O’Hare-owned Rebel Diamond gained a reward for a number of consistent efforts when justifying 3/1 favouritism in the Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden, driven right out by Billy Lee to hold off Rion Rubette by a head.

The Natalia Lupini-trained colt may return here in October for the valuable final of this series and the Craigavon handler’s partner Craig Bryson commented: “He was unfortunate in Sligo where he got stuck in a wee bit of traffic and had to come around them. Today’s straight six was fine but he’s ground dependant and if it’s heavy ground it wouldn’t suit him.”

Turf master

Theriverrunsdeep, whose five previous wins all came at Dundalk, showed she could do it on turf as well when prominent throughout on the stands’ side in the Persian Force At Tally-Ho Handicap and kept on strongly inside the final furlong for Wesley Joyce to beat Sunday Sovereign by three and a quarter lengths.

“She was frustrating a couple of times this summer as she got upset in the stalls and a couple of times she was unlucky in running. She’s a Dundalk specialist and now that she’s got her head in front again, we might be on a bit of a winning curve,” said owner/trainer Seamus O’Donnell who was also leading up the 16/1 winner.

Home victory

Fiver Friday, available at 25/1 overnight and sent off at just 8/1, added to three previous wins all gained at Scottish tracks when leading well over a furlong out and soon taking control to beat Thor’s Hammer by three and a half lengths in the one-mile, two-furlong TRM Speedxcell Multi Vitamin And Mineral Tonic Handicap.

“They went plenty hard early on to set it up for her and Wayne (Hassett) used his head. He said she loved the hill as well and maybe that’s her trip. The last day in Doyal Royal it turned out she was in season,” said Paul Traynor who trains the daughter of The Gurkha for Philip Gilmore.