The Black Tiger, left, sees off Saturn© Photo Healy Racing
The Black Tiger (11/2) hadn't really threatened in three previous outings, but it was a different story this evening as he took the concluding Hartes Group Irish EBF Maiden for Aidan O'Brien.
This was the third year in a row that O'Brien had won this race and The Black Tiger gave the trainer and Ryan Moore a treble on the card following earlier successes for Mountain Bear (4/1) and Ylang Ylang (8/13f).
The Black Tiger raced in second behind Tasayad and Moore sent him on racing into the final two furlongs. The new leader wasn't home yet, though, as the regally-bred newcomer Saturn moved into a threatening position in the final furlong.
Try as Saturn did to get on terms, he couldn't reel in The Black Tiger who hit the line with half a length in hand. The runner-up went off an easy-to-back 8/1. Kadeen was two and three-quarter lengths away in third at 7/1.
Stable representative Chris Armstrong said: “Ryan gave him a lovely ride. He's a horse that is a bit of a slow learner, it just took a run or two for the penny to drop.
“That's probably his trip, a mile-and-a-quarter, and the ground is probably as soft as he wants it.
“We'll just let him work through the grades, we'll go for a handicap and let him progress in his own time and see how he pans out.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
