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- Eisenhower gets the job done
Donal Murphy
Eisenhower gets the job done
Eisenhower (green and white) is ridden out by Joseph O'Brien
© Photo Healy Racing
The well-backed Eisenhower justified favouritism in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden, scoring under Joseph O'Brien for his father Aidan.
The winning son of War Front finished fourth on his debut at Gowran earlier this month and while he was available at 5/2 this morning he opened on-course the clear 6/4 favourite, the price he was returned.
Prominent throughout on the rail he was ridden from over a furlong out and he soon got to the front, keeping on well in the closing stages to score by three parts of a length. Ostatnia who was backed from 8/1 to 9/2 on-course, ran well to finish second under Billy Lee for Willie McCreery while Well Done Me was a length and a half back in third. Araner was the even money favourite when the race was priced up last night but he opened on-course at 5/2 before drifting out further to his starting price of 3/1.
He never really looked like winning and finished a well-beaten fifth under Pat Smullen for Dermot Weld.
Joseph O'Brien said afterwards: "They've done a great job with the ground - it's nice, quick and safe.
"He has a bit of speed and the fast ground suited. Seamie (Heffernan) was happy with him (at Gowran on debut) and said afterwards to drop him back in trip on a straight track."
The winner is owned by Joseph Allen LLC and he holds an entry in the Irish 2,000 Guineas.
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes