An excellent bank holiday crowd attended Cork yesterday and the Aidan O`Brien-trained Shakespeare returned to winning ways in the featured Sri Pekan Platinum Stakes over nine furlongs .
Partnered by Michael Kinane, Shakespeare, which finished a well beaten eighth to Sinndar on his penultimate start in the Irish Derby, bounced away smartly and wasn`t troubled to contain Islandagore by a length .
' The blinkers helped him to concentrate and he has loads of pace . He will now go for the Royal Whip Stakes at The Curragh later on this month ', commented O`Brien .
This was O`Brien and Kinane`s second winner as they had earlier taken the two-year-old Maiden with the well bred newcomer Black Minnalouche which had little difficulty in justifying 4/6 favouritism .
Jointly owned by Susan Magnier and Michael Tabor, this half-brother to Pennekamp surged to the front two hundred yards out to account for La Stellina by four lengths .
Kinane actually went on to pilot a three-timer as he won the ten furlong Handicap on Declan Gillespie`s Persian King . Sporting the silks of Galway owner Joe Donohoe, Persian King is described by Gillespie as an ideal three-year-old hurdler .
Ballinarrid went off favourite in the three mile Maiden Hurdle, however the market leader was already after beginning to emit distress signals when erring at the last and he was eventually beaten three lengths by the Paul Moloney- ridden Cross The Suir .
Trained by Christy Roche, Cross The Suir carries the colours of none other than Sir Peter O`Sullevan and indeed this was his first winner in this country .
No Messin` made practically all the running in the Flemensfirth Handicap Hurdle . One More Spin was gaining on Eugene O`Sullivan`s gelding to the line, but the camera displayed that the five-year-old had held on by a short head . Incidentally, No Messin`s partner Joey Elliot was suspended for two days for excessive use of the whip .
Tadgh O`Shea, 18, who hails from nearby Dromahane, suplemented his three victores at Galway by riding Wonder Bell to success for his master Michael Halford in the fillies Handicap .
The Frances Crowley-trained Applause turned the Bumper into a procession coming home as he liked by twelve lengths from Fore Or More under Kevin O`Ryan .
