Vasoni leads Knights Templar as they approach the line© Photo Healy Racing
After riding in Newmarket on Saturday and Woodbine in Canada yesterday, globetrotting Pat Smullen returned home this afternoon and partnered the Tim Doyle trained Vasoni to victory in the #5 Admission Handicap.
While he was away Joseph O’Brien extended his lead at the top of jockey’s championship to five but Smullen reduced the deficit to four aboard the 4yo daughter of Redback.
Sent off at 9/2 the filly was recording her first success today on her nineteenth career start.
She raced towards the rear for much of the contest before staying on well between horses in the straight to hit the front 100 yards from home, going on to score by a length and a quarter at the line from Lady Lyrath in second at 13/2 under Gary Carroll for Shane Duffy.
Seven different jockeys had tried to win aboard Vasoni in the past with Smullen working the oracle on his first time to partner the filly.
Recent Gowran winner Knights Templar was sent off the 4/1 favourite for Pat Flynn & Colin Keane but he could only manage third, a short head behind Lady Lyrath in second.
Smullen said afterwards: "She is a very consistent filly and deserved to win. They went a good pace in front which helped her and I quite fancied her coming here today.
"I just arrived back in Ireland at 10.30 this morning and came straight to the track."
(On-course reporting by Alan Magee)
