Tahaf makes Heffernan's dash worthwhile

Seamie Heffernan, who rode at York this afternoon, made the dash across the Irish Sea a worthwhile one as he partnered Tahaf to victory in the Diarmuid Cronin Electrical Handicap.

The Denis Hogan trained four-year-old son of Authorised got off the mark at Bellewstown in June and he found Cairdiuil just a length and a quarter too good on last outing at the Galway Festival.

He did disappoint at Leopardstown in between those two runs and he went off a 5/1 chance this evening.

He made all here and while he was strongly pressed from two furlongs out he kept on well under pressure to score by a length and three parts. Longfield Lad ran well to finish second at 12/1 under Ronan Whelan for John Joe Walsh while Al Fahidi was a further three parts of a length back in third under Chris Hayes for Andrew Oliver at 11/2 (backed from 13/2 on-course). Anner Queen was sent off the 9/2 favourite under Fran Berry for Tony Martin and she kept on well in the closing stages to finish fourth.

“The loose horse cost him the last day at Galway. Things have to go right for him and hopefully he will be able win again.” Heffernan remarked in the aftermath.

Hogan added: "We were unlucky earlier, the horse (Amazing Star) was coming home well.

"Seamie is the key to this fellow, he was very good on him. He gave him a super ride and the horse is progressive.

"He probably bumped into one at Galway the last day. He doesn’t have to have the blinkers but they are a help.

"He will make a real nice hurdler. He ran once over hurdles last winter but the ground was too heavy."

He then joked: "He is not in again any time soon to run under a mandatory penalty so he will just run the next time under the five pounds that the handicapper will give him!"

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes