Night Of Power (Colm O'Donoghue) beating Sheila's Hope© Photo Healy Racing
Night Of Power put a disappointing run at the Curragh last weekend behind him when defying top-weight in the Naas Supporters Handicap to provide Colm O’Donoghue with a double on the afternnoon.
The John Oxx-trained three-year-old challenged Sheila’s Hope, the 9/4 favourite and seeking a four-timer here, over a furlong out.
However the favourite rallied inside the final furlong and O’Donoghue’s mount needed to dig deep to prevail by a neck at odds of 11/4. Queluz was a further length and three quarters away in third.
Oxx said, “I fancied him a bit last week but he hotted up in the preliminaries. The parade ring at the Curragh with all the temporary arrangements there and the bookmakers ring close by is getting a lot of horses worked up.
“He was calmer today and we put a hood on him and he was much more relaxed. He was too gassy in the race last week and pulled too hard. He finished out well today.
“He handles the ground well, he has a fast ground action, and stays a mile and a quarter. I’m not sure he’d go any further. He’ll go for something similar.”
