Friendless Alishan foils gamble on Admodum

Newcomer Alishan foiled the gamble on Admodum in the season opener at Roscommon, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Median Auction Maiden.

Installed the 4/5 market leader last night, Alishan proved easy to back (2's to 3's on-course) as all the money came for Jim Bolger's Admodum.

He started at 11/4 last night, opening on-course at 7/4 before going off the clear favourite at 5/4 under Kevin Manning.

Settled behind the leaders, Alishan had no where to go two furlongs from home and needed to be switched out for room by Pat Smullen.

Once in the clear he came under pressure, and kept on best in the closing stages, getting up to score by three parts of a length for trainer Dermot Weld.

Admodum, who raced prominent throughout, had to settle for second, while Highland Fling (13/2) was a further three and three parts of a length back in third under Niall McCullagh for Frank Dunne.

Pat Smullen said afterwards: "He did well to win as I got caught for room and it broke his momentum. He's still a bit raw and green, and there is improvement in him.

"The ease in the ground helped. He needed to stay to win after being stopped, and he'll go further than that."

The winner is from a high class Aga Khan family and is a half-brother to Alandi who won the Irish St Leger and Prix du Cadran in 2009.

Additional reporting by Alan Magee