Improving three year-old Right Honorable gave trainer Con Collins another big payday when capturing the inaugural running of the #70,000 marlborough.ie handicap at Leopardstown yesterday.
Runner-up to Tarakan over 1m at the Curragh last weekend, the chestnut colt battled tenaciously for Pat Shanahan to deny Avorado by a neck, after the latter had loomed up ominously in the straight.
Collins was understandably all smiles afterwards : 'He came on a good bit from his last run, and I thought he saw out the extra furlong very well,' opined the veteran handler.
Vinnie Roe, part-owned by film director Jim Sheridan and his brother Seamus, entered the picture for the St Leger with an authoritative display in the www.ppg.ie Challenge Stakes.
The Definite Article colt merely had to be ridden out for a four-length verdict over Sadlers Wings, prompting trainer Dermot Weld to comment : 'We always hoped he'd get 1m6f, and now we know he does the target will be either the Irish or English St. Leger. He's a very consistent horse, and ran a good race (when seventh) in the Irish Derby.'
Michael Kinane, who endured such a nightmare evening at the Dublin track on Wednesday, was out of luck again in the four-runner Marlborough IT And Technical Race.
Riding Kalamunda for Charles O'Brien, the former champion jockey got boxed in on the rails, and by the time he finally found an opening Newpark Lady and Johnny Murtagh had flown.
A length separated the pair at the finish, and to the surprise of most racegoers Kinane lodged an objection to the winner for crossing his mount about a furlong out.
Not surprisingly, this was overruled by the stewards and Kevin O'Brien's progressive filly kept the race, and the Curragh trainer has his eye on a 5f Listed event at Pontefract on August 8th for her next outing.
Star apprentice Pat Cosgrave had mixed fortunes on the day, producing a strong drive to take the Marlborough Sales & Marketing and MCSL Handicap on Grassland Star, but picking up a three-day ban for careless riding on Osprey Ridge in the big race.
