Deserved Meld success for Parish Hall

Parish Hall justified favouritism as he took the Group Three Meld Stakes under Kevin Manning for Jim Bolger.

The five-year-old entire was recording his first win of the season in this mile and a quarter contest.

He finished a neck second over the course and distance in the Mooresbridge Stakes in May and again on his last start in the International Stakes last month.

Having opened at 2/1 on-course he was backed into 11/8 favouritism at the off.

Held up in fourth he made progress into second a furlong and a half from home.

He was ridden to challenge in the final furlong, hitting the front 50 yards out before keeping on well to score by half a length. Afternoon Sunlight attempted to make all but she couldn’t hold off the winner in the closing stages and had to settle for second under Pat Smullen for Dermot Weld. Ponfeigh was backed from 10/3 to 11/4 on-course but he could only manage a disappointing third, a further three lengths back under Declan McDonogh for John Oxx.

Kevin Manning said afterwards: "He did it well. He handled the ground and he got the trip well.

"I wasn’t sure where the pace would come from, but he has a good turn of foot so I settled him and followed the pace.

"My instructions were to drop in, take my time and arrive late."

Una Manning talked to her father Jim Bolger, who is in Croke Park, on the phone after the race and she reported: "He will stick to a mile and a quarter. He feels he is only really getting over his injury this year and hopefully he can go on to better things.

"He seemed to settle very well today. He hadn’t decided the best race for him before today, the plan was to see could he get back on a winning note.

"He is very happy with him. He will have a look and see what there is for him now. He is quite ground dependent he doesn’t want slow ground."

The win complete a quick double for owner Jackie Bolger who won the previous contest with Intenser

Additional reporting by Gary Carson