Elzaam Blue gets a kiss from owner Siobhan Ni Cheallaigh© Photo Healy Racing
Elzaam Blue proved a real bargain buy for connections when justifying good support on debut in the Find Us On Facebook @dundalkstadium Maiden.
The Darren Bunyan-trained gelding was snapped up for just 800 guineas by Philip Egan as a two-year-old at the Breeze Up Sales but has obviously had some issues since and was only making his debut here at four. Jaafel looked set to justify 13/8 favouritism when travelling sweetly to lead well over a furlong out but Billy Lee got a strong late run out of Elzaam Blue and the 5/1 chance (backed in from 7/1 just before the start) got up virtually on the line.
Macadam’s Rock was a further two and a half lengths back in third.
Billy Lee said, "My agent rang me the other day and said 'I don't have much for you but I have this lad'. To be fair to Chris Hayes he said that he works nicely and goes well and that I probably should come up and ride him. Thank God I did.
“He was very green early on, didn't know what it was all about. He only got it turning in, I just started picking them off. I said I was going to be a lovely second and he's really taken off in the last furlong and picked up well.
“He's a nice straightforward horse and he's going to improve plenty from the run, mentally wise he's going to improve and he'll be a nice horse going forward.”
(GC & AM)
