Halford strikes again with well-backed Year

Michael Halford's outfit struck with the well-backed Queenie Keen yesterday and they were responsible for another well-backed winner when Defining Year (as big as 10/1 in the morning into 7/2 co-fav) won on outing number two, under Gary Carroll (now one off Ben Curtis as he bids to retain the apprentice title) in the Jet O'Carroll Memorial Median Auction Maiden at Listowel.

Fifth on his debut behind Whipless (a race from which many winners have emerged subsequently), here, the successful Hawk Wing colt came home strongly to beat Gold Post by a length and three parts.

Halford said: "He had a great first run at the Curragh and he loved the step-up in trip. Ours usually come on from their first run and he is still very raw and he has loads of scope."

The winning owners, Kieran Coughlan and Claire Riordan from Cork also bred the two-year-old.

Meanwhile Halford said of his National Stakes runner-up Casamento: "He came out of the race really well. I'll have to talk to John Ferguson and we probably won't make any decision for a week or so."