Champagne Kid and Rob James © Photo Healy Racing
Trainer Pat Collins made the long journey from County Down worthwhile as his Champagne Kid quickened up smartly under Rob James to win the concluding Listowel Vintners Association INH Flat Race.
Runner-up at Clonmel in April, the five-year-old again shaped with a degree of promise when fifth at that same venue on his most recent start.
Sent off 5/1 here, the gelding raced prominently throughout, moving second in pursuit of leader She's Poetry over 3f out.
Leading entering the straight, the son of Vadamos kept on strongly to beat the staying on Artic Lane by four-and-a-half lengths.
Assistant trainer Sean Collins said: “We thought he was going really well at home and had this race picked out for him after his last run at Clonmel.
“It's worked out really well. We wanted the rain.
“We just have three in at the moment and this is a special win. For a set-up like ours if you can have a winner at a summer festival like Galway or Listowel it's what you dream of.
“It's a massive day down here and it's great to be here, it's my first time here.
“We're three miles outside Newry, on the Co. Armagh side. We came down yesterday and are heading home tomorrow morning.
“It's great to get a winner by Vadamos as we've supported him. We sold a few foals by him. We breed a few but it's been hard in the past year or so trying to move stock on. Hopefully in a couple of years it will be back going strong again.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson.
