HAVING made a relatively slow start to the season, Dermot Weld’s horses are beginning to hit full stride and 13/8 favourite Blazing Sunset appreciated the step up in trip when staying on strongly to land the featured Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden at Sligo.

Owned and bred by Juddmonte, the Bated Breath colt had shown promise when fourth to Derby hopeful Alder at Killarney on his sole juvenile outing.

Leigh Roche soon had him in a prominent position and he led early in the straight before seeing off Right Now by two lengths.

Roche said: “He’s going to improve plenty from it. Once he came off the bridle turning in, he just got a little bit unbalanced and you’ll see a better horse on a nicer track.

“He’s a big horse and he’s only starting to come to hand at home. Most of Mr Weld’s have been taking a run this year and he had a nice blow with me.”

Weld was also on the scoresheet at Killarney as was Joseph O’Brien, who enjoyed a treble at the Kerry venue, and the latter sent out his fourth winner of the evening when Rattle And Hum (2/1) was an authoritative winner of the concluding a mile and five-furlong maiden

The New Bay gelding, owned by the Annus Mirabilis Syndicate, was close to the pace throughout and Jake Coen sent him on entering the straight.

Soon clear, he stayed on well to beat Votre Homme by three and a quarter lengths.

“I’d no doubts about him staying the trip,” said Coen. “We went quite steady and at the three pole he really jumped into the bit for me and I knew then that I was away.

“He picked them up quite smartly and has the pace to come back in trip if necessary.”

Whisky on the way to Galway

THE 2/1 favourite Whisky On The Hill finished best to land the three-year-old handicap over a mile and two furlongs, following up a course and distance victory in April.

Pushed along in third turning for home, once Ronan Whelan got the Ribchester gelding balanced in the straight he stayed on strongly to beat Tea Olive by half a length

Ado McGuiness, who trains the winner for Mr A Zevenbergen, said: “He was caught a little flat-footed turning in but a mile and two is probably his minimum trip and he wants further.

“We haven’t schooled him yet but I do think he’ll make into a right good hurdle horse and he wants softer ground as well.

“Ronan said he knew 100 yards out that he had them and he said he did it snug enough in the end. He’s improving all the time.

“We’ll probably stay west with him and aim him for Galway after this.”

Double

Whelan was completing a double following the success of the locally-trained Sneddy Eddie (13/2) in the Wildroots Festival Handicap.

Dropping markedly in trip from his handicap debut at Gowran, the Churchill gelding, trained by Mark McNiff for Michael McGlone, was smartly away from stalls and raced prominently. In front early in the straight, ke kept on well to hold Jackie Brown by three-quarters of a length.

“He was a bit unexposed,” said Whelan. “He didn’t have the run of the race at Gowran and Paddy Harnett looked after him.

“It’s a big advantage when you’ve a low draw and you can get out, and we were on the freshest ground as well. It’s nice to get a winner for Mark at his local track.”

Kearney warms up with a double

JOCKEY Jack Kearney rode the second double of his fledgling career with the first leg coming via In From The Cold (13/2) in the Rosses Point Caravan Park Handicap.

Formerly in the care of Michael Mulvany, for whom he won six races, the Alhebayeb gelding was winning for the first time since joining Gordon Elliott who trains him for Pioneer Racing.

Held up at the rear of the nine-runner field, In From The Cold was still in last position turning for home before being produced down the outside to get up close home. In the end he pulled three and a quarter lengths clear of Sir Antonino.

Jack Kearney said: “They went a good gallop and he was flat out for most of the way. He’s probably a little bit lazy too and he took a bit of getting going, but once he got going he finished out well and hit the line good and strong. He loved the ground and he was the fastest one finishing anyway.”

The 5/6 favourite Marvelosa completed Kearney’s double in the mile and two-furlongs maiden for older horses.

In the box seat for much of the contest, the winner was caught in a pocket approaching the straight but fought her corner well when looking for racing room and got out in time to beat Mon Coeur by three-quarters of a length.

Richard O’Brien trains the winner for Frank Lynch, Michael Hartnett, A M Ryan and W O’Brien.

“She travelled strongly throughout the race,” said Kearney. “I thought I was in a bit of bother turning in, I was kept tight, but luckily I’d the horse under me to get the gap.

“She took the gap and did it nicely and she’ll appreciate stepping back up in trip.”

It’ll Do My Day (7/2) was another prominent racer who was successful as he landed the claimer for Michael Mulvany.

Owned by Larry Mulvany, Gary Carroll’s mount led on the approach to the straight and kept on well to beat Singe Anglais by two and three quarter lengths.

“He had a good run in Bellewstown a while back and was dropping down in class,” said Mulvany who later saw his charge claimed for €5,000 by John M Keogh to be trained by Shane Duffy.