Backbench veers to the fore

The playing field between horses of varying abilities is considerably levelled when conditions get as testing as they obviously are at Leopardstown. Favourite for the Listed Nijinsky Stakes, Tower Rock (later reported to be lame & to have lost a shoe) couldn't cope with things whilst winner Backbench Blues obviously could, though not before giving his supporters and connections a considerable degree of worry in the closing stages.

Fran Berry 's mount veered very badly to his right in the closing stages but such was his level of superiority that he still crossed the line three and three parts of a length to the good from Macbeth At the tail of the field there were distances of fifty eight lengths, five lengths and twenty four lengths to the last three home, Strait Of Zanzibar Frontier and the aforementioned 2/1 market-leader Tower Rock.

Berry rode Backbench Blues for Anamoine Limited and trainer Jessica Harrington and he said: "I think he knew where the horse gate was as he had his ears pricked and had plenty left in the tank.

"Joseph O'Brien's horse (Tower Rock) stopped dead five furlongs out and left me in front.

"When I gave him a smack on his left hand side he veered but he kept going.

"He's usually straight-forward, the big wide open space there didn't help." (GC & EM)