Promising juvenile sprinter wins Dundalk's opener

Promising juvenile sprinter Francis Meynell (9/4) left behind a disappointing September Group-race run when winning Dundalk's opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race today, for owner/trainer Michael O'Callaghan and jockey Colin Keane.

The Blue Point-colt won on Navan debut in August but, a month later, finished last of eight in Doncaster's Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes.

Today Francis Meynell — named after a 19th century British poet and printer, raced behind leader Moral Turpitude (10/11f), led over a furlong out and while he raced green close home, held off Tarsus by a half-length.

O'Callaghan said "he was giving away a lot of weight so it was a good weight-carrying performance. He is a colt we have always thought a lot of and obviously he went to the Flying Childers (Group 2 in Doncaster) and came home very sick so got time off.

“That's why I brought him back in and kept him going for this. This has been the plan and he will probably be put away now.

"Colin said there that he is still plenty green when he got there, has loads of pace and is only doing enough. You will probably see a better horse in a better race and Colin thought he was a nice horse and that he would get six furlongs."

He added "I thought he was a stakes horse during the year and if we still have him next summer, it depends what mark he gets but he could be a horse for that three-year-old only handicap at Ascot. That's a long way away though.”

Quotes from Michael Graham