Spot On by just a nose Black Spot On sent favourite backers home happy from Leopardstown. He was the second winning market-leader of the session, on a generally trying night for punters at the Foxrock venue, taking the finale, the Leopardstown 'Club 25' Membership Handicap under Tadhg O'Shea. The Down Royal maiden hurdle victor from St Patrick's Day, was mounted out on track but he got rid of O'Shea and ran loose for a time in the in-field. However, when reunited, O'Shea had to give the Spartacus chestnut some stern reminders in the straight to maintain the lead having taken over from before the three furlong pole. In the end the combination held on by a nose from the strong finishing Ibsen, with three and three parts of a length and sixteen lengths back to the third and fourth place finishers Gold Not Silver and Whatuthink. Amazingly the nose verdict was the third minimum margin call of the night. Waltzing Matilda beat Miss Gally Rio by a nose in the first whilst Fiscal Focus also 'nosed' out Boqa in the second. Winning trainer John Woods commented: "He nearly wrecked himself before the start. He gets a bit excited when he comes racing but he's grand at home. "He seems to go on any ground and I think that's my first winner at Leopardstown." The Stewards interviewed G.J. Phillips, rider of Beau Michael (GB), placed fifth, trained by Adrian McGuinness, concerning his riding in the last two hundred yards where he appeared to stop riding when racing in fourth position and was passed in the final strides by Whatuthink to lose that placing. Evidence was heard from the rider concerned who stated that he mistook the winning post because of reduced vision through his goggles having raced on wet ground conditions. Having viewed the recording and considered the evidence, the Stewards were satisfied that G.J. Phillips was in breach of Rule 212 by failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures to ensure that his mount was given a full opportunity of obtaining the best possible placing and therefore suspended him for 2 racedays and ordered that he forfeit his riding fee. K.J. Manning, rider of Aurifodina, trained by J. S. Bolger, reported to the Stewards' Secretaries that his mount ran freely throughout. (GC & EM)
