Georgeville puts Naas disappointment firmly in the past

Favourite Georgeville (7/2) led home outsiders Shennan (16/1) and Romantic Proposal (33/1) in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden at Cork.

Two and a half lengths and three lengths split them at the finish after the Dermot Weld-trained and Oisin Orr-ridden Georgeville had taken the lead early in the straight having always been to the fore.

The successful Dawn Approach colt hadn't come up to expectations on reappearance at Naas on March 24th, but this easy win was in keeping with a promising debut third placing at Gowran in October.

"He did it nicely and had better ground than he had at Naas. At Naas nothing went right for him, he was drawn very wide, got a little bit of interference early on, the ground was very testing on his first run of the year and he put it all behind him today," said Weld.

"He also had a better draw today and he was the one horse of ours who didn't reproduce his homework. He had been working well before and since Naas and is a lovely horse.

"Potentially he is a Stakes horse but ideally I'd like to find a winner of one race next. I wouldn't be afraid to go another two furlongs."

At the request of the Stewards, C.T. Keane, rider of Scorched Earth trained by G.M.Lyons, reported to the Stewards' Secretaries that his mount momentarily panicked in the closing stages.

(TW & EM)