Billboard (centre) stays on best in the closing stages to beat Can'thelpbelieving (No 3) and Green Tag© Photo Healy Racing
The Jessica Harrington trained Billboard got up close home to land the opener at Roscommon, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden.
The son of Big Bad Bob came in for plenty of support on-course and having opened at 10/1 this morning with Paddy Power, he went from 8s to 5s on-course.
Ridden by Fran Berry, the bay gelding was making his third start this evening, having finished eighth and sixth in hot maidens at the Curragh in May and July.
Settled in mid-division, he was pushed along in eighth two furlongs out before staying on into fourth a furlong from home.
He soon came with his challenge and despite being slightly hampered in the final 150 yards, he kept on best to score by half a length. Can'thelpbelieving ran a fine race on his debut, finishing second for Tommy Stack and Wayne Lordan at 14/1.
The Michael O’Callaghan trained Green Tag (13/2), who was demoted to second after winning at Gowran last week, went to the front a furlong and a half from home.
However just like he did at Gowran, he drifted left in the closing stages, when being pressed, and he dropped to third near the line, finishing a head behind the runner-up under Fergal Lynch. Intensified was sent off the 5/4 favourite for Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning, but he could only manage a disappointing sixth, having been well-supported from his morning price of 5/2, and his opening show on-course of 11/8.
Jessica Harrington said afterwards: "He has been gelded since the Curragh.
"The drop in class and the experience of his two runs probably stood to him today.
"He’ll go for a Nursery now and we will step him up to a mile which I think will help him."
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
