Martin breaks new ground with juvenile Nibiru

Nibiru came from a different parish to get up close home at 20/1 in the opening juvenile maiden at Naas.

The Casamento colt was making his debut for Tony Martin and raced in last place at the halfway stage of this six-furlong contest.

He was off the bridle in eighth with a quarter of a mile to race. However, he began to respond to pressure approaching the furlong pole and closed in fourth in the final 150 yards.

The newcomer finished with a real flourish under Oisin Orr to put his head in front in the final strides from Ted Walsh's Castletownshend (15/2) and Aidan O'Brien's Full Moon (9/4).

The distances between the first three home were two heads. The runner-up, who was also making his debut, was well backed during the morning from 25/1 to 10/1.

The 2/1 favourite, It's All A Joke was picked off with 150 yards to go and weakened to sixth under Colin Keane.

"He's a lovely horse and we had him away a couple of times,” Tony Martin said.

“Thanks to Ger Lyons as we had him in his yard a couple of times and Colin Keane did a lot of the work with him. It's a pity for him but it's great for the other boy (Oisin Orr) too and it couldn't have worked out better.

“He was in at Cork yesterday but we thought on his first run he might be better off over six. It was great to get him started and to get his head in front.

“What he is, I don't know and can't say, but hopefully he's a nice enough horse to go forward and win a couple of races.

When asked if he'd had a first time out two-year-old winner before Martin replied:- “Definitely not. He's been away and he knows his job.

“We were hoping he'd run well but thought it might be a bit short for him. He showed it the way he ran as he was struggling a bit early.

“We thought first time we'd be better coming here to a nice track and teach him. Whatever he'll be he'll improve a bit to the next day.

“He's a nice horse to be going forward with; a great man has him. We didn't have the best of years for him as the horses were under a cloud all year but they seem to be coming right since Galway and, touch wood, he's one of the ones he can look forward to next year.

“I doubt he would run again this year. He had to get stuck into him there from the furlong pole. If he didn't have to stuck into him you probably would (run him again) but when the race was there he had to get stuck into him.

“We'll get him home and he how he is. There are three weeks left so we'll see, you wouldn't know what we'd do with him.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson