Four in-a-row for Stuccodor Stuccodor followed up on his win at Gowran last Monday as he recorded his fourth success on the trot, trouncing his rivals to win the Ross Nugent Foundation Handicap for Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen. The Dominick Glennane owned 4yo won at Leopardstown on his fifth career start last August before he followed up at Killarney in September. He made his seasonal debut at Gowran last week, just getting the better of Elusive Ridge by a nose and he followed up this evening in convincing fashion. Sent off at 7/2 (opened at 4/1 on-course) the son of Modigliani tracked the leaders in third for much of the contest before he moved into second when travelling strongly two furlongs out. He hit the front over a furlong from home and he quickly went clear, staying on well to record an easy six length win. The James Barrett trained Saga Eider attempted to make all under Rory Cleary but had no answer to the winner and had to settle for second at 12/1 while Miracle Cure was a further three lengths back in third for Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning at 10/1. The Ken Condon trained Macbeth was the gamble of the race. He opened at 15/2 this morning with Paddy Powers and was backed all the way in to an opening show on-course of just 7/2. He went off the 11/4 favourite but he never looked like winning and finished a well beaten sixth under Shane Foley. Dermot Weld said afterwards: "He did it very well. He handled that ground well and he is a very fit horse so that helped. "He only won by a nose at Gowran last week and he was flat to the boards there. "The race just broke for him today and fitness on that ground was a big help. We will maybe for a hurdle race with him now in a few weeks time." (Additional reporting by Gary Carson)
