Verhoyen blitzes them at his favourite track

Verhoyen enjoyed himself in bringing up his sixth course victory in the Harp Bar Kildare Handicap at the Curragh.

Billy Lee soon bustled him along to lead in this seven-furlong handicap as the pair raced down the centre of the track.

The top-weight was on good terms with himself two and a-half furlongs out as the riders on the remaining 17 horses began exerting their arms.

Lee got after his mount passing the two pole and the eight-year-old gelding was in no mood to be passed.

He kept up the gallop as the field cracked in the final 100 yards, and the 12/1 shot ran on well to come in by two and a-half lengths.

Another 12/1 chance, Hightimeyouwon took the runner-up berth without landing a glove on the winner while Zabeir (25/1) and Vocal Studies (8/1) finished third and fourth respectively.

Trainer Michael Grassick said: “The rain was needed. I was going to declare him again for Sunday, but I walked it this morning and it was only just good. With the dry forecast for the weekend I thought it wouldn't be slow enough for him on Sunday but there was enough for today.

“I'm delighted, with 10st2lb you couldn't be over confident in that type of handicap. He loves it here, he's a different horse when he's here — close to home.

“We'll see what the handicapper does now. There are a few 60-90 handicaps that he's probably not going to get into now. We'll have to go premier handicaps now, but he's not going to go to the likes of Galway as it doesn't seem to suit him.

“We'll maybe go to Britain and find a handicap for him over there.”

Aside from the Curragh, Verhoyen's sole other success came on the Polytrack at Dundalk in March 2018.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson