Up 4lb for a narrow defeat at the Curragh on Sunday, progressive three-year-old Kendall Roy spearheaded a tremendous 1-2 for trainer Katie McGivern in the Doneraile Handicap in Cork. Ridden by Declan McDonogh, the 5-2 favourite raced prominently throughout and held off stablemate So Majestic (Chris Hayes) by a length and a quarter. The winning trainer explained, “I felt sorry for Chris (Hayes), having to choose between them, but I fancied both horses.
“That’s the way Kendall Roy needs to be ridden. He’s a lazy horse and gets fat and gross. Declan was on the ball — he bounced him out and kept him up to his work.
“He’s entered for Goodwood next week, but I’m not sure about that. He’ll tell us when he’s sick of racing for the season and looks a real next year horse.” Successful on debut in Dundalk but disappointing twice since and gelded since his last run, the Michael O’Callaghan-trained Morning Vietnam (Seamus Heffernan), 16-1 outsider of the four runners, readily turned over favourite Lethimfly in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Rated 2-Y-0 Race.
“We’ve always liked him, but he can be a bit highly-strung,” explained O’Callaghan. “He didn’t have a hard race the first day and formed an apprehension about racing. We decided to geld him and the lads at home have done a great job with him.
“He’s very big and we’ll be in no rush. He’s a beautiful mover and loves fast ground. He’s potentially a good horse and could develop into a nice sprinter in time.
We just have to get his head right.” In the earlier two-year-old maiden, Wise Men Say (Shane Foley) was tapped for toe for most of the journey but came home strongly to land the spoils for Jessica Harrington, reversing Bellewstown form with the favourite Sharkii (third). “He’s a big, imposing colt, but isn’t there yet,” stated Foley.
“He’ll be a fine three-year-old. He only got going in the last furlong and wants to go further already.” Second on her only start for Rebecca Menzies and bought for £260,000 at the Ogden Dispersal Sale, Firebird (4-6 favourite) made an impressive start for Paddy Twomey when bolting up in the six-furlong maiden.
Keen going to post but relaxed through the race, she asserted before the furlong-pole before forging clear under Billy Lee to beat market rival White Clover by five lengths. “She has a good Juddmonte pedigree and is a nice filly,” commented Twomey. “She’ll have no problem stepping-up a furlong and the idea will be to get some black type.
” Twomey saddled hotpot Cill Mocheallog for the five-runner median auction race. But the 1-2 shot had to settle for third spot behind Joseph O’Brien’s well-treated filly Karsavina, ridden to victory by Hugh Horgan in the famous Sangster colours. O’Brien’s representative Seán Corby said: “She’s been highly-tried and this looked a good opportunity for her.
It looked smooth until it got tight in the straight, but she was good and brave and picked-up well.” Ross O’Sullivan, admitted, “I thought she might need the run,” after Samrogue, a comeback ride after injury for Leigh Roche, streaked clear to defy top-weight in the 47-65 sprint handicap. Darragh O’Keeffe shared the riding honours with Alex Harvey in Kilbeggan and provided O’Sullivan with an across-the-card double when Favori Logique landed the Jim Ryan Racecourse Services Handicap Chase.
O’Keeffe was also successful on the Harry Rogers-trained Grann’s Boy, who proved too strong for odds-on favourite Tonaghneave Well in the Tote Maiden Hurdle. Harvey delivered on James Fahey’s Angelsworkinovertime in a division of the 80-95 handicap hurdle and followed-up on Jumping Susie, an all-the-way winner for John McConnell in the Tote Handicap Hurdle. And Gordon Elliott doubled-up with Hardy Diamond (Danny Gilligan) and Beaufort Scale (Sam Ewing) in the maiden hurdle action.
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