Valor justifies odds-on favouritism

Spirit Of Valor justified odds-on favouritism in the opener at Naas, the Tifrums EBF Maiden, scoring under Donnacha O'Brien for his father Aidan.

An eye-catching third on his debut at the Curragh last Sunday, the son of War Front was briefly available at evens last night.

That price didn't last long, and he opened on-course at 8/11, before going off the clear favourite at 8/13.

Settled in second, the bay victor was ridden under two furlongs out, and he hit the front with a furlong left to race.

He briefly edged right inside the final furlong but maintained his lead, going on to score by three parts of a length.

The front-running Imagine If finished second under Colin Keane for Ger Lyons at 7/2 (touched 13/2 this morning), while newcomer Invincible Ryker (14's to 10/1) ran a fine race to take third, a head back under Shane Foley for Mick Halford.

Aidan O'Brien said afterwards: "It's tough going out there and the ground is softer than we thought.

"It's good for him to do it in that. He works well with an ease but that's a good bit more than an ease. I think he'll prefer much better ground.

"I had thought he'd handle the ground better and had thought about looking at the Killavullan at Leopardstown but now I don't know.

"He struggled a bit and I thought he would have won easier. It's possible he may be finished now."

Additional reporting by Gary Carson