Stay De Night, red cap, mounts his challenge in Killarney© Photo Healy Racing
Stay De Night was a market drifter throughout the day, but nobody told the three-year-old gelding who won the extended mile rated race in Killarney.
From 4/6 to 11/10 before racing and an SP of 6/4, he was an uneasy favourite but actually won a shade cosily.
He raced in fourth of the five runners early on and took closer with a quarter of a mile to race. Sitting third he wound up his challenge from a furlong and a half out and a sustained run brought him past Elusive Ridge and front-running Strait Of Zanzibar He went on to score by two lengths. Strait Of Zanzibar was second at 7/2.
Winning jockey Pat Smullen said: "You would have to be very happy with that. He had ideal conditions. It is lovely ground and it wasn't too quick. That's probably his trip, he mightn't want to go any further.
"He did well to follow experienced horses there. It will be interesting to see what the handicapper does."
Dermot Weld 's Stay De Night was the only three-year-old in the five-runner race and was in receipt of weight from all his opponents. He won his only other start in a one mile maiden at Limerick.
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
