Cristal Clere and Sean Bowen (right) hold off Fleetfoot and Rory Cleary© Photo Healy Racing
The progressive Cristal Clere completed a hat-trick in the Lecarrow Race, scoring under Sean Bowen for his uncle John Nallen.
Having belatedly got off the mark on his 11th start, the Harzand bay recorded his second career success at Leopardstown in April and quickly followed-up a few days later at the Foxrock venue.
Given a break since and settled in rear this evening, the five-year-old made good progress between horses from early in the straight and was ridden to the front with less than two-furlongs to go.
Returned an easy-to-back 7/1 chance (3s early), he needed to be ridden out in the closing stages to see off the persistent effort of Fleetfoot (5/2 from 9s early) by a half-a-length.
There was seven-lengths back to Martinstown (9/4) in third, while Shayzann (15/8f) was another three-and-a-half lengths away in fourth.
"We left him off when the ground got dry and waited for a dig in the ground," Nallen revealed.
"We were thinking about Sunday and the big handicap in the Curragh (Northfields) but I don't know as he wants a cut in the ground.
"There could be something for him in Listowel as well. He's a fair horse.
"He'll jump a hurdle hopefully. The plan originally was to go point-to-pointing and we schooled him over fences.
"The ground is the key to him."
STEWARDS REPORTS
The Raceday Stewards interviewed J.A. Heffernan, rider of Martinstown, concerning his use of the whip in the home straight of this race. Evidence was heard from the rider concerned. J.A. Heffernan accepted that he was in breach of regulation 10 but added that he used his whip with the arm above shoulder height because he felt there was a chance he may have struck the horse on his outer. Having viewed a recording of the race and considered the evidence the Raceday Stewards found J.A. Heffernan was in breach of R.10.3(h)(Arm above shoulder height) and considering his record in this regard they suspended him for eight racedays.
The Raceday Stewards enquired into the reasoning behind Cristal Clere was declared a non runner on yielding at Tipperary the previous day yet was running on yielding ground today. In his evidence Mr.John Nallen, trainer, stated that he declared for Tipperary on yielding to soft, yielding in places and it changed to yielding on Sunday morning. He declared on Saturday for Roscommon with a soft going report and although it changed to yielding today that it would be a softer side of yielding. Having considered all the evidence, the Raceday Stewards noted the content of the report.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
