King X J and Leigh Roche© Photo Healy Racing
Breeze-up 'bargain' King X J landed a sizeable gamble to win the Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sale Stakes at the Curragh, scoring a big-race win for trainer Michael O'Callaghan and jockey Leigh Roche.
Backed from 12/1 yesterday and from 8/1 this morning, the son of Cotai Glory was returned the 11/4 second-favourite and in the 14-runner race defeated runner-up Threebagsfull by a length.
King X J was a £100,000 breeze-up purchase by O'Callaghan in June but today collected €150,000 in prizemoney as he enhanced his value.
O'Callaghan, whose Twilight Jet was third in yesterday's Champagne Stakes at Doncaster, wasn't present and following today's race Roche said “the only concern I had coming here was the trip. He’s a seven furlongs or a mile horse but he has a bit of class and I think he could be very good.
“It was a messy race the first day, we went slow and sprinted and it was soft ground.
“He’s improved plenty from it and the nicer ground today helped him. He could be a smashing three-year-old.”
Quotes from Alan Magee
