Make A Challenge and Joe Doyle © Photo Healy Racing
The A.R.M. Holding Curragh Sprint Stakes (Listed) was impressively won by 9/4 second favourite Make A Challenge ridden by Joe Doyle.
The Invincible Spirit gelding, a confirmed soft ground performer, relished the testing conditions and was always travelling well within himself.
He hit the front over a furlong from home and came home four lengths and a neck ahead of outsiders Downforce and Schroders Mistake Speak In Colours sent off the 6/5 favourite, finished in sixth place.
Beaten on his first six starts, Make A Challenge has now won nine out of his last fourteen races since his initial success at Fairyhouse in May of last year, and this was his fifth win at the Curragh.
Winning trainer Denis Hogan said: “That was impressive. I wasn't expecting that, to be honest, I was expecting Speak In Colours to give us a right test and probably beat us.
“I thought we were always better over five but that is his ground. There aren't too many horses that would live with him on that ground, he just motors through it.
“This was only a stepping stone to the Flying Five here on Champions Weekend. He's in Tipperary during the week in a Listed race.
“We don't work him much at home. He's been coming here, picking up prize-money, and using races to step to another race.
“We just feel he's better fresh like that and he's had a little break, I'd say he's really freshened up well.
“This time last year he came alive and hopefully he is coming good again.
“There is a good program. There is the Flying Five, the l'abbaye and Champions Weekend at Ascot. We'll look at the three of them.
“It's great for Joe as well, he's having a good run of it. Hopefully it keeps raining and if the horses keep running like that I'll be happy.
“I wouldn't say Battaash is unbeatable but he's going to be very hard to beat. You'd be disappointed that A'Ali didn't show more as he beat us here but that was on better ground.
“Obviously we are better on this type of ground.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
