Miller Beach (orange) is ridden out by Gary Carroll to beat Amazing Star and Six Silver Lane© Photo Healy Racing
After winning last time out at Naas Miller Beach followed up at Killarney this evening as he took the Cliffords Groundcare Limited Handicap under Gary Carroll for Johnny Levins.
The chestnut son of Sakhee’s Secret went up just five pounds for that Naas success and he was well-supported today, starting this morning at 8/1 before being backed from 7’s to 6’s on-course.
Settled towards the rear he took closer order and was was ridden just over two furlongs out.
He soon came with his challenge on the outer and swept to the front inside the final furlong going on to score by half a length. Amazing Star who was detached in rear turning in, kept on well to take second under Pat Smullen for Denis Hogan at 14/1 (was 11/2 last night) while Six Silver Lane was three parts of a length back in third under Fran Berry for Johnny Feane at 8/1. Illusive was sent off the 9/4 favourite under Donnacha O’Brien for his father Aidan but he had no more to offer once headed over a furlong out and eventually finished sixth.
Johnny Levins said of his Seamus Mannion owned winner: "He is a progressive handicapper and he is relatively lightly raced. You must remember he never ran as a two-year-old and he is only getting better with runs.
"I have him in an apprentice race on Saturday (at the Curragh) and Donagh O’Connor will ride him.
"He might go for the English Cambridgeshire as I think will be a high end handicapper before the end of the season. I’ve always thought a lot of him."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes