WESLEY Joyce continued his remarkable recent run of form, riding a third winner from as many rides, with Lia Fail successful in the featured Irish Stallion Farms EBF Rated Race over five and a half furlongs.

Sent off the 11/2 outsider of the quartet, the Michael Mulvany-owned and trained filly made all the running, holding on to win by a short-head.

Mulvany reported: “Wesley said she is still a little green, but he said he didn’t have to go for the whip with her. It got very close, but the handicapper has it near enough right. She’s entered for next week in another rated race (Cork on Wednesday), it is the same conditions as this one so we will wait and see how we go on. We’ll see how she is and we might have another go.

“I’m delighted for Wesley, always trying to get him back on the right road. He is such a nice young fella. When he was with us, I couldn’t say enough about him. He deserves everything he gets.”

Gamble

Kiki Roberts won the opening five and a half furlong Irish EBF Auction Series Fillies Maiden for local trainer Noel Meade. The 7/2 chance got up close home under Colin Keane to score by a head in the colours of Mrs Derville Meade.

The winning trainer later said: “It was a bit of a gamble coming back in trip because we do think she needs seven or a mile, but I wanted to get her on good ground. She was unlucky the last day, she couldn’t get out. I think she is pretty useful.

“Peter Nolan and myself bought her very cheaply and she is after growing three or four inches and filling out. The Americans wanted to buy her after her last run and I decided not to sell her.

“It was nice she went and won anyway. She only cost five and a-half grand and she would be a possible for the sales race in Naas on the last day of the season. She mightn’t like soft ground now.”

SLIEVE Bearnagh was another narrow margin winner, only having a nose to spare over Lady Christa in division 2 of the Gormanlough Apprentice Handicap over a mile and two furlongs.

Following the success of the 11/2 chance, Michael Halford was full of praise for winning jockey Jamie Powell: “I just said to Jamie that I thought that sort of trip would suit him and the ground. Some of these horses just need everything to fall right for them. He was always capable of winning that type of race off that mark.

“Jamie is a young jockey I would have a lot of time for - he’s very cool and calm and collected. He rides to orders and that. I knew his parents well and his grandmother taught me to ride back in the day. I hunted with his grandfather when I was a kid. I’m delighted for the owner Paul Rooney, his Dad just hasn’t been in the best of health just lately so Paul wasn’t able to make it.

“He got a great kick out of watching that at home. He has been an amazing owner for us and has been with us a long, long time.”

Division l of that Gormanlough Apprentice Handicap went the way of the J.P. McManus-owned Stay Local at 5/1. The Conor Stone-Walsh ridden five-year-old mare kept on strongly to win by half a length. Trainer Aidan Howard said: “She’s after coming to herself in the last couple of weeks there. I was quietly confident coming here. He was very good on her, he has a good head and a good pair of hands - a great lad. I’m hoping to get her out in a couple of weeks.”

Surprise

Step Back In Time was a surprise 40/1 winner of the Simonstown Handicap. Afterwards, trainer Chris Timmons said: “She got away with it (drop in trip), it was a stiff five. The owner (Siobhan Tolerton) bred her and she has persevered with her. I’m delighted to win for her. Her father Wilfred Tolerton used to train years ago.

“She really ground it out well. It just took her a while to find her feet. She hasn’t been running badly, she ran in Cork on Wednesday and she was just pinging the gates and was out in front with no cover over seven - she was a sitting duck and they just came and swallowed her up in the last half furlong. She came out of it well, so we said we would roll the dice.”

Highway Rat is back on the right road to more success

THE Highway Rat overcame an absence since March to run out a comfortable winner of the Rathkenny Handicap. The 4/1 chance stayed on strongly to see off favourite Silmaniya by half-a-length.

Andy Oliver said of the gelding owned by wife, Saffron: “He had a very nice run on the opening day of the season. He was beaten off top-weight and we were delighted, and we thought this was his season. Then he had a setback and we are just getting him out now.

“We thought he was plenty short for today, but it was just opportunity. He did that well and Billy (Lee, jockey) was delighted with him. It all went straightforward and to plan.”

Time To Boogie landed the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies & Mares Maiden by two and a half lengths for owners Mrs John Magnier/Michael Tabor/Derrick Smith/Westerberg.

Good run

Ballydoyle representative Chris Armstrong said of the 10/3 winner: “(Before) Gowran the last day she had been off for a fair length of time. She had a good run at two in a good maiden and it stood to her. She stepped forward nicely in her work.

“She’s in the Denny Cordell (Group 3 at Gowran Park) in two weeks, it might come a bit quick for her. She could go for something like the Garnet or the Bluebell at Naas in five or six weeks time.”

Gavin Ryan took the concluding mile Lynn Lodge Stud Maiden on 8/11 favourite Earth Dance. Owned by Anne Marie O’Brien, Mrs John Magnier and Michael Tabor, the gelding won by three lengths.

Ryan said: “He’s by Australia and just took a little bit of time to come to hand. We always thought he was a nice horse and he proved that to us in a hot maiden in the Curragh. Obviously, I was able to keep it very, very simple and followed the one I thought was there to beat - gave me a lovely lead down into the dip and once I have committed my horse, he won with plenty in hand.

When asked if he could be stakes class, he replied: “Without a doubt, he’s going the right way about it.”