Prince Connoisseur strides clear in Tipperary© Photo Healy Racing
Prince Connoisseur made it two from two as he put away his three rivals in the five furlong handicap for three-year-olds at Tipperary.
John Feane’s charge won a three-runner race in Dundalk in January, but encountered much slower conditions underfoot this evening. He was very easy to back at the track drifting from an opening show of 3/1 to an SP of 9/2.
Prince Connoisseur was never far off the lead and was travelling well with two furlongs to go. Fran Berry soon grabbed the race by the scruff of the neck and the pair saw off Chiclet and Blueberry Gal from half a furlong out.
Chiclet (11/8 favourite from 15/8 in the morning) was three and a quarter lengths down in second while Blueberry Gal was a further head away in third. Pirita dropped off the pace before halfway and came home last of the four runners.
“I’m delighted to get that over and done with. I thought the ground wasn’t ideal for him, but it probably actually helped him. We are finding races with very few runners! I’ve no real plans. He’d prefer good ground to soft ground,” John Feane said.
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes