Royal Irish Hussar comes home a clear cut winner of the opener at Killarney© Photo Healy Racing
Royal Irish Hussar opened this morning at ridiculous odds, and he was a general 8/1 chance with most firms, Ladbrokes going the best price at 9s.
Not surprisingly those long odds were quickly gone, and he was a 5/2 chance by midday.
The Aidan O’Brien trained son of Galileo (fitted with cheek pieces for the first time) opened on-course the 5/4 favourite, the price which he went off at.
Ridden by Joseph O’Brien, the once raced three-year-old made all, before staying on strongly from over a furlong out, going clear to win the Sika Signs Maiden, by an easy eleven lengths. Train Of Thought (5/2 to 7/4 on-course), briefly looked a threat to the winner two furlongs from home, but he had no answer when O’Brien kicked on, and the Dermot Weld trained gelding had to settle for second under Pat Smullen.
The victorious bay colt made his debut at Gowran in April, where he finished a well-beaten eight of twelve behind We’ll Go Walking.
Joseph O’Brien said afterwards: “He bowled away nicely in front and he won nicely enough but it was an ordinary race."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
