After Black Friday now we have Orr Friday

After his brother Conor's heroics earlier with a treble at Limerick, Oisin Orr got himself on the score-sheet on the day with success on Thebeastfortheeast (7/4 joint favourite) in Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden (DIV II) at Dundalk.

A half-brother to a Grade One winner in Glorious Empire, Thebeastfortheeast showed the benefit of his two previous runs, doing this beautifully off the front end.

Fellow market-leader Grandmaster Flash finished off very well on debut, but Thebeastfortheeast was always in control, and contained Joseph O'Brien's promising runner-up by three parts of a length.

They drew on by six and a half lengths from the third home, Pearlman

“It looks like we've gone longer without a winner than we have but we had a winner over in Ayr in October,” said winning trainer Richard O'Brien.

“At different times you'd be hard on yourself with the way you're doing it but it's down to the individual and that's a fair horse.

“He has a big big engine and probably the only slightly surprising thing is that it's taken me three goes to win with him.

“He's a proper horse, a stakes horse, and his work was far superior to what he's done, even the last day.

“We've seen a little bit of it there and Oisin has given him a good ride. The first and second were six-and-a-half lengths clear of the third and I think Joseph likes his.

“Our lad has a Guineas entry and I suspect he'll be sold on the back of that. He has a super pedigree and he ticks a lot of boxes, size, strength, scope and now he has his winning bracket.

“Just late on he probably idled a little bit. It just took a couple of runs for him to get the sense to conserve and he did that today for Oisin. He was cruising.

“It's a welcome winner for sure. It's our first two-year-old winner but I don't think he will be with us much longer.

“I think the world is his oyster. His brother is a Grade 1 winner in the States, a horse called Glorious Empire, over a mile-and-a-half and I think this lad is going to be a proper middle distance horse.”

The Stewards enquired into an incident in the early stages of this race involving Ellaat (GB), ridden by K.J. Leonard, Tigray (USA), ridden by A.C. Persse and All About Maddy (GB), ridden by K.J. Manning, where it appeared that Tigray ran short of room and checked. Evidence was heard from the riders concerned. Having viewed the recording of the race and considered the evidence, the Stewards took no further action but did, however, remind K.J. Leonard and A.C. Persse of their responsibilities under Rule 213 to report anything which might have affected the running of their horse in a race.

(GC & EM)