Course specialist does it again Farmleigh House warmed up for the Hopeful Stakes at Newmarket next Saturday in the best possible fashion by recording his fifth course and distance win in the Bar One Racing Mourne Handicap at Dundalk. Wexford trainer Willie Martin, who was quite emotional after the victory, viewed this race as a good prep for the Newmarket Listed event as the top-weight was returning from a three-month lay-off due to a lung infection. However the six-year-old gelding certainly performed above expectations, leading a furlong out under Niall McCullagh to land this €22,500 prize. The easy-to-back 10/1 chance kept on gamely in a tight finish to just hold off the strong-finishing Via Ballycroy (13/2) by a short-head, with Elusive Time (16/1) just a half-length away in third. The well-backed 9/2 favourite Rummaging didn’t enjoy a clear passage in the straight, and only saw daylight well inside the final furlong to finish fourth. Arbitrageur totally blew the start but also got going well in the straight to finish close-up in seventh. Martin said, “He goes to Newmarket on Saturday for the Listed race over six furlongs, and hopefully the ground will be quick over there. “He’s been working well but was coming back from a lung infection. He’d mucus on his lungs and was off for a month getting treatment.” Fergal Lynch was given a one day ban for careless riding on fifth-placed Almadaa after an incident in the straight involving a number of horses where Cash Or Casualty was short of room.
