Yulong Xiongba devours the Galway hill

Yulong Xiongba landed some hefty bets when rattling home under Ross Coakley to win the seven furlong nursery by a head at 9/2.

Although the two Ger Lyons horses, The Ice Meister and Cape Wolfe, were taken out due to the ground conditions, Yulong Xiongba’s price was sharply contracting in the morning morning anyway from 12/1 to 7/1. He went off at 9/2.

This was his first foray into a nursery after two runs in maiden company and a conditions race outing. His best finish was fourth in a Curragh maiden. Intense Style galloped on past Initial in the home straight and looked to have put the race away, but he didn’t reckon on Yulong Xiongba who was ridden in third on the home bend and stayed on powerfully from the furlong pole to get up.

Intense Style, the 6/4 favourite, had to settle for second while Bluerince Lady (20/1) was a major eyecatcher storming down the outside for third, three parts of a length off the runner-up. She was last of the five runners under two furlongs from home.

Trainer Johnny Murtagh said: “I thought the 5lbs might give him a chance and bring him closer to the horse that beat him, Intense Style. I thought the hill would suit him and Ross said he loved the ground and the hill. He’s a hardy horse and he’s going well.”

Intense Style beat Yulong Xiongba into fourth in that six furlong Curragh maiden in May and also finished ahead of him in Naas when they were fourth and fifth respectively.

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes