Golden Temple and Jamie Powell.© Photo Healy Racing
A winner on his two most recent starts over hurdles, the Noel Meade trained Golden Temple opened his account on the flat when staying on in determined fashion to land the JJ Mahon & Sons Irish EBF Stayers Handicap at the Curragh.
In the leading pair throughout, Jamie Powell tracked Bold Approach for much of the race, before taking over in front early in the straight. Pushed along to extend his advantage over two furlongs out, the 12/1 chance was chased hard by The Truant in the closing stages.
However, despite briefly drawing alongside inside the final furlong, the Paul Flynn trained grey could never quite head the gelded son of Galileo Gold.
With the rail to held, Powell found a willing partner who galloped on strongly to record a well earned neck success.
Noel Meade said: “When we started with him as a two-year-old we thought he was the best two-year-old we had.
“He's bred to be a sprinter. In fairness to Robbie Colgan he rode him one day in Fairyhouse over a mile-and-a-half and rode him like that and just got touched off.
“He probably was a bit weaker last year than he is now. He belonged to Paul and Patricia Hunt and at the end of the year a few of them had to go as Paul had passed on.
“Albert (Dravins) asked me if there was anything worth buying and we always felt he was some good and that he could win a race somewhere.
“He jumps very well and he has improved. He stays very well.
“He keeps at it and I told Jamie if he was going well he was going too slow because he'd need to get the rest of them off the bridle and at it because he just keeps galloping.
“If you waited for them they'd go past him. I watched the race with Paul Flynn (trainer of runner-up The Truant) and Paul beating me and I was beating him, it was very funny.
“His owner's partner passed away last year and they are having a charity golf day and they are all over at that. I'm sure they are watching on TV.
“He's probably a horse for the two-mile-five race on the Saturday at Galway. We'll have to stay at two miles whatever we do on the Flat.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson.
