Eruption and Declan McDonogh win the Yeats Country Claiming Race © Photo Healy Racing
Third in a handicap at this track on her reappearance earlier this month, the Matthew Smith trained Eruption appreciated the drop in class when landing the opening Yeats Country Claiming Race at Sligo.
Declan McDonogh kept it simple on the five-year-old mare, breaking well to claim the box seat just off the early pace. Lockdown made the running, with another confirmed prominent racer Pimstrel sitting second.
As the latter fell away over two furlongs out, McDonogh moved through to head Lockdown entering the straight, making a race winning move that saw him get first run on his opposition. Redshore City was undoubtedly the unlucky horse in the race, never seeing daylight until too late. He flashed home under Billy Lee to finish fifth in a bunch finish for minor honours.
Declan McDonogh said: "She missed it the last day, jumped awkwardly and then just got put in the pocket.
"I was out in five today so it gave me an option. I jumped okay but there was one that was adamant to go on so I let him have it. I got a nice trail into it and she stayed going well.
"The bit better ground than the last day helped her last it out.
"She was genuine, the blinkers helped and course form is a help around here.
"The ground is dead, not much good in it, it's more on the yielding side."
Additional reporting by Mark Nunan
Following the race, there was a friendly claim by Andrew McNamara for 5 Aurora Nova but no claims for anything else.
