Thomond O’Mara’s Castle Bar Sling provided respite for the bookmakers when popping up at 20/1 to win the Irish Cambridgeshire at the Curragh under a power-packed Wayne Lordan ride.
Lordan got a great run out of the six-year-old gelding in the final two furlongs as he cut down the field to win going away by half a length.
The success wasn’t unexpected according to O’Mara. He said: “I fancied him and I had a little bet on him.
“The race panned out to suit him and Wayne gave him a good ride.
“His run at Leopardstown was very good on the basis of what the filly has done since [Bible Belt won the Group 3 Dance Design Stakes].
“He didn’t get the run of the race at Galway, but we fancied him today on the basis of his Leopardstown run and that he is improving.”
Joanna Morgan’s Moran Gra came home second at 12/1 (20/1 in the morning) though jockey Ronan Whelan received a two-day suspension for excessive frequency with the whip. Napa Starr (10/1) was a neck back in third.
Well-backed 7/2 favourite Future Generation for Ger Lyons and Johnny Murtagh completed the placings. He was 10/1 in the morning and opened 13/2 on the track.
Michael Graham
