Massaman and Colin Keane win from Zahee© Photo Healy Racing
Colin Keane continued to dominate proceedings at Down Royal tonight when producing Massaman with a strong surge inside the final furlong to claim the ASG & Partners Handicap, making it a clean sweep in the first four races for the champion jockey.
Front-runner Eighty Eight passed the furlong pole a couple of lengths in the lead but was collared inside the final 150 yards as Massaman and Zahee came through.
It was the top-weight, trained by Jack Davison, who found more in the closing stages to record a hard fought half length victory.
The 9/4 favourite had been mid-division in the Ladies Derby at the Curragh last Saturday.
"That was some ride but he had a willing accomplice. This horse has been very busy. I would say that is probably his best trip,” said Davison.
"For a big horse, he is not by any means slow. He has won over seven and over a mile, a mile-two, a mile-three and he has been placed in a Cork Derby.
"He's very versatile and that is his ground. He's actually in the Newmarket August Sale but we'll just see, I'd love to keep him in the yard. He's a very genuine, honest horse and there's a big pot in him.
"I actually ran him in a couple since Colin last won on him and the ground went against him. He wants really nice ground.
"I have one eye on the Red God at Dundalk, that's certainly an option. He should get in there off a reasonable weight. We'll target those better pots now. We wanted to pitch him back into calmer waters and get his confidence back and get him to win.
"He ran in the Ladies Derby and it is a six-day turnaround so credit to the horse - very good constitution and a very good homebred. It is hard to get horses that have that and can back up."
(Quotes by Michael Graham)
