Gaius and Philip Byrnes © Photo Healy Racing
Philip Byrnes is enjoying a good run of form and completed a quick double at Sligo when Gaius (4/1) landed the Callan Tansey Solicitors Handicap Hurdle.
The French-bred six-year-old, who was following up a win at Punchestown last week, came from off the pace to lead off the home turn. He jumped the last safely and quickly asserted before being eased close home to score by three parts of a length from Alfieri Yenillik and Ballyglass Beauty filled the frame with a fair gap back to the remainder.
7lb claimer Byrnes, who rode his father's Suain Na Draoicht to win the previous race, has enjoyed a good bit of success lately for Gaius' trainer, Noel Kelly. His double paid a little over 10/1.
It was a day of mixed fortunes for the jockey, though, after it emerged that he had picked up a ten day suspension for failing 'to be seen to be the subject of a genuine attempt to achieve from his mount, timely real and substantial efforts to achieve a best possible placing' aboard Kelly's I Am Spider Man who was tailed off in the 2m4f handicap hurdle. The stewards also ordered that he forfeit his riding fee and suspended I Am Spider Man for 42 days in accordance with the provisions of Rule 212 C.(d). Furthermore, the Stewards referred the betting pattern of I Am Spider Man to a Senior Racing Official for further investigation.
After his win on Gaius, Byrnes said: "He's done it well. I kept him wide and he travelled well on the outside. I was down the inner in an earlier race and I wasn't as balanced, but out on the better ground this lad was way more balanced the whole way.
"I just had to give him a slap going out on the final circuit but he picked up well for that and saw the longer trip out well."
