Newsman gets up close home under King Newsman got up close home to take the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (colts and geldings) maiden under Connor King for Johnny Murtagh. Fifth on his debut at the Curragh last month the son of Makfi was second to Special Focus on his next start at Roscommon. Sent off an easy to back 14/1 chance (was 8/1 this morning) today he was settled in mid-division. He was ridden and switched to the outer from two furlongs out, keeping on best to lead inside the final furlong, scoring by half a length at the line. Mittersmill finished second at 13/2 under Colin Keane for Ger Lyons while the 5/2 favourite Aridity was a head back in third under Billy Lee for Willie McCreery. Johnny Murtagh said afterwards: "If you had told me it would be mid-September before I had a two-year-old winner I'd have said you were mad. "I thought I had some nice two-year-olds at the start of the year but they all seem to be taking a run and improving. Hopefully now one or two more will hit the board. "He's very tough and genuine. He quickened well and it took him a while to pull him up. Hopefully he'll go on to better things. "I thought stepping up to a mile would suit him today. I think he's a decent horse and I think he could be a stakes horse. "I'd see him as a nice mile-and-a-quarter horse next year and hopefully he'll stay a mile-and-a-half." Additional reporting by Gary Carson
