It has been a long time coming, but Red Rock Canyon is no longer without a win to his name after battling to victory in the Tote Jackpot Races 3 to 6 Maiden at Roscommon.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained five-year-old has run against some of the best horses of recent years in the role of pacemaker to such Ballydoyle big guns as Duke Of Marmalade, Dylan Thomas and Soldier Of Fortune.
He performed his tasks admirably, although he had come up short when having winning opportunities of his own, including on his previous start when a beaten odds-on favourite at Tipperary in May.
It looked touch and go at one stage here but it all came right at the 22nd time of asking for the 4-5 market leader as he dug deep for Johnny Murtagh to assert close home and hold off Miss Chaparral by a length.
Kevin Prendergast has a fantastic record with his juveniles this season and took the yard's two-year-old strike-rate to 25 per cent when the well-backed Musical Rain (7-1) held off the staying-on Fammi Sognare in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Auction Maiden.< Young Lochinvar (11-2) gave John Carr his second winner in the space of a couple of days when taking the Tote Placepot Races 1 to 6 Handicap in the hands of Colm O'Donoghue.
With Caughtontheriver having obliged over hurdles at Sligo on Sunday, County Kildare trainer Carr - the former handler of Sublimity - is going great guns.
A 10,000 guineas buy from Tattersalls in Newmarket in October 2007, Young Lochinvar - once with Dermot Weld - was winning his first race for his current connections.
The Tote Phone Bet 1850 238 669 Handicap Hurdle saw 7-2 favourite Media Queen emerge victorious for Donal Hasset and Davy Russell following a desperately tight five-way finish, while Adrian Sexton's Ballygill Gale (14-1) fairly bolted up in the www.thetote.com Handicap Hurdle.
