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- Review leopardstown 27th Oct
Review leopardstown 27th Oct
Famous Name and Pat Smullen
© Photo Healy Racing
Pat Smullen may have lost the jockeys' title race to his young rival Joseph O'Brien, but he has done so with a flourish as he dominated the Leopardstown card.
The former champion ended the day three behind O'Brien at 87-84 after riding a treble for Dermot Weld, but with commitments abroad he will be unable to make up the deficit before the season ends next weekend.
Star of the show was the wonderful seven-year-old Famous Name who took the Trigo Stakes (Listed) for the third time to make it 20 stakes victories in an amazing career that is now over, as he has been retired to stud.
Smullen sent the 1-5 favourite up to the leaders on the outside swinging into the straight and the entire soon asserted, running on strongly to beat Demurely by three and a half lengths.
The most impressive of the jockey-trainer partnership's winners was Famous Name's juvenile full-sister Big Break who took the feature JRA Killavullan Stakes in eyecatching style.
Sent off the 10-11 favourite for the Group Three contest, she swept past the leaders inside the final quarter-mile and soon put the race to bed, winning by three and three-quarter lengths without being asked a serious question
Smullen and Weld got off to the best possible start when 11-8 favourite Rasmeyaa third at Listed level on her debut, coasted away with the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden, forging clear to score by five and a half lengths.
John Oxx's Zand (4-5 favourite) stepped up on his promising debut run at the Curragh last month with a commanding performance in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden, going clear early in the straight under Declan McDonogh to score by three and three-quarter lengths.
Arthur Moore took the www.leopardstown.com Nursery with the Shane Foley-ridden Harley's Harley (7-2 joint-favourite), who shot clear at the top of the straight and held Newberry Hill by a length and three-quarters.
David Wachman's Precious Stone (13-2) stormed down the outside to destroy the opposition in the Leopardstown Apprentice Handicap under Co