The Listed Ardilaun House Hotel Oyster Stakes was the feature on day-two of the Galway September meeting, and the anticipated victory of 4/9 favourite Excalibur failed to materialise as he dropped out tamely before the straight with Royal Devotion recording a 25/1 shock.
The well-bred daughter of Sadler's Wells got the better of Arch Rebel well inside the final furlong, and then held on by half a length from the fast-finishing Orpington. The four-year-old filly carries the colours of Ryanair supremo Michael O'Leary's Gigginstown House Stud, and paid a massive 78.30 for a win and 37.10 for a place on the Tote.
'She has not been suited by very fast ground on a number of runs this year, and ran no race after being slowly away at Fairyhouse last time,' said trainer Michael Halford before adding, 'With her pedigree, we'll chase another bit of black type, and this win has certainly justified the decision to keep her in training. The cheek-pieces helped her to concentrate.'
The big race surprise eliminated a large portion of jackpot bets, with the pool swelling to 51,670 boosted by a rollover of over 16,000 from the Curragh on Sunday. The defeat of evens favourite Zelkova in the two-year-old auction race looked sure to result in another rollover but well-backed handicap winners Dbest and Fit The Cove left two winners each picking up a dividend of 19,376.
The nursery-bound Jazz Princess followed up her Sligo debut win in the juvenile auction race, drawing clear off the home bend and holding on by a length and a half from Zelkova. This was the second leg of a near 82/1 double for Niall McCullagh who earlier made all the running aboard Gemini Diamond in the mile and a half handicap, stretching clear in the straight to beat Riverboatman by five lengths.
'She has been working great but I was worried about her lack of a recent run. She loves to get an easy lead, and we may look for a Listed race abroad in Italy or Germany,' said trainer Michael Grassick.
Dbest put up a brave performance from the front under a determined Patsy Cosgrave in the mile handicap, holding off a host of challenges in the straight for a half length verdict over Onlyhavetokissme. However Cosgrave was hit with a two-day ban for careless riding following an incident inside the final furlong when Rhythm Returns (fourth) was checked on the rail. Joanna Morgan will now switch her charge back to hurdles for the 'Lartigue Handicap' at the Listowel Festival.
Fit The Cove, raised 23lb for two wins last month, defied the handicapper once again when leading on the inner a furlong out under Michael Kinane for a comfortable two and a half length success in the seven furlongs handicap.
Gilda Lilly benefited from the addition of blinkers to land the two-year-old fillies maiden, always prominent for Declan McDonogh and denying the late surge of Zarandja by a neck.
There was a cracking finish to the two and three-quarter miles novice chase with the Barry Geraghty-ridden Windsor Boy beating Il En Reve and the front-running Gold Spear by a short-head and a head.
Alan Magee
