Amber Blossom and Rory Mulligan © Photo Healy Racing
Rory Mulligan showed just why he is one of the most promising young apprentices around when producing the Johnny Murtagh trained Amber Blossom from off the pace to win the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Nursery Handicap at Dundalk.
Quietly supported from as big as 40/1 into 16/1, the daughter of Zoustar was dropped in from her wide draw and held up towards the back of the 14-runner field.
Still with more in front than behind him early in the straight, Mulligan was coolness personified as he recovered from losing an iron before producing his mount with precision timing to sweep past market leader Tomarlo deep inside the final furlong.
The latter had looked set to follow up his recent course win over 6f when getting to the front traveling easily over a furlong out but he had no answer to the late burst of the eventual winner.
Rory Mulligan said: "My foot was just sliding out of it (iron) a little bit, but I kept it intact.
"She won well, nice filly going forward.
"It has been a good year and I'm getting plenty of support off different people.
"That's my 16th winner, I won in England yesterday on Destinado for James Owen (at Lingfield) as well. I've had two winners in England this year. I can't complain, it is going well.
"I'm with Johnny full-time now, it is good.
"Dad was a jockey and he is training a few now for a bit of fun, and he is not doing too bad either as he's getting a few winners. The brother was a jockey as well, conditional for Gordon Elliott but got a bit heavy."
Additional reporting by Michael Graham.
