Action another ace in O'Brien's juvenile pack
Action and jockey Wayne Lordan after winning the Whiriskey Refrigeration Irish EBF Maiden (PA)
O'Brien's representative Chris Armstrong said: 'Wayne knows the family inside out and they have been very good to him.
'He is a smashing colt, he had a lovely run at the Curragh first time out and just five minutes before this race jumped off, the horse that beat him, Isaac Newton, won at Goodwood, so I'd say it was a very strong maiden.
'It was his first time out in front and he was very green and raw but once Wayne asked him, he found the line well. You probably won't see the best of him until he goes up in trip and he is now in the mix for something like the Golden Fleece on Irish Champions Weekend and then maybe a Futurity Trophy (at Doncaster) or another Group One in France.'
Winning Smut and jockey Jack Kennedy on their way to Galway glory (PA)
Gordon Elliott added the BoyleSports Handicap Hurdle to his big-race tally this week as Winning Smut repelled all challengers in the Listed highlight.
The Cullentra handler had already bagged the Galway Plate and Hurdle, courtesy of Western Fold on Wednesday and Ndaawi on Thursday, and Winning Smut was sent off the 13-2 joint-favourite to keep the bandwagon rolling.
Partnered by Jack Kennedy, Winning Smut was in front turning for home and while Fascile Mode, Chart Topper and Teed Up made late bids for glory, Elliott's charge had two and a quarter lengths in hand at the line.
Elliott's representative Lisa O'Neill said: 'We didn't know how good he was coming into this but he scraped in down the bottom of the weights and having a feather weight in those competitive handicaps helps. Jack gave him a beautiful ride up the inside and said he got there too soon but he toughed it out well.
Winning Smut and connections in the winner's enclosure (PA)
'It is great for his owners (Dennis Reddan) as they have been in racing for a long, long time and they are delighted to have a winner here at Galway. He is a homebred so it means so much to them and hopefully there is plenty more for him over the coming months.'
Some Pretender (evens favourite) made a winning racecourse debut in the Salthill Hotel Irish EBF Mares INH Flat Race, while Andrew Slattery chalked up his third win of the week as Ebony King (9-1) landed the BoyleSports Best Odds Guaranteed Maiden Hurdle.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
9 hours ago
- BBC News
'We have to learn to see out games'
Derby boss John Eustace said he expects his side to get stronger and keep growing after defeat to Stoke City on the opening the 3-1 loss to the Potters, Eustace told BBC Radio Derby: "We limited Stoke to very little today. I was proud of the effort of the group, the attitude was fantastic but we have to learn to see out these games."I expected us to be better when we went 1-0 and control the game, we dropped a little bit too deep for their equaliser."I know this group very well, and we have seven or eight players to come in and help the quality even more."Over the course of the 46 games we are going to improve, keep growing, and get better. That is what we will take from today."
BBC News
10 hours ago
- BBC News
Robins revels in revitalised forward line
Stoke manager Mark Robins heaped praise on his new signings as they helped his side come from behind to beat Derby 3-1 on the opening Potters only managed 45 goals last term, but found the net three times on Saturday to earn all three points against John Eustace's Rams. "That's two goals from a new player and an assist from a new player, which is fantastic. Three goals at home gives us a really good start after a strong performance," he told BBC Radio Stoke."We were really good throughout, and the only time we made a mistake we went behind out of nothing. But we kept going, continued to play create opportunities."The cross for the second goal was fantastic, and the goal was nothing more than Divine deserved because he ran his socks off today against two experienced centre-backs."We have good players, who are brave on and off the ball and all three goals came from real quality. We worked on that high level and intensity in pre-season as that is what we want to be about and what the fans want to see."
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Derby move 'the real deal'
New Derby County signing Patrick Agyemang has called the Rams "the real deal" after watching highlights of their matches before joining the 24-year-old US international striker made the move to Pride Park last month in a deal that could rise to £7.3 will not be making his league debut in Derby's Championship opener away to Stoke City on Saturday due to a long-standing hernia injury, which is expected to keep him out for several games."My agent got in contact with Derby earlier this year but they kind of left me out of it. They just said focus on your football, play, and do what you got to do," Agyemang told BBC Radio Derby."Once I got into the Gold Cup with the national team, that's when I really got the first real [sign], this team is really interested."So, I said OK. As a player you do your research right away and see how they are, and right from there I was very interested."Agyemang is one of 11 new arrivals at Pride Park this summer with head coach John Eustace being given the funds to invest in his squad following a 19th-place finish last season. After making his MLS debut for Charlotte FC in 2023, Agyemang gained the attention of US head coach Mauricio Pochettino, who handed the forward his first international cap in January.A record of five goals in 12 appearances has helped him cement a place in Pochettino's starting line-up ahead of a World Cup on home soil next despite his increasing international profile, Agyemang admitted he was nervous about meeting Eustace."Initially, I went to watch the highlights [of Derby's games] and I've seen how passionate everyone was in the game, and the fans are crazy, so I was like, 'This is the real deal,'" Agyemang said."I had a Zoom call [with Eustace]. I was nervous, but right when I started talking to him, it felt really natural."They kind of talked to me more as a person rather than a player, and for me that's very important. Obviously, I'm coming to play football, but I want you to know who I am as a person as well." The youngest of three boys, Agyemang said he owes his success to his family."We talk all the time," he said of his brothers, Emmanuel and Enoch."If I feel like I've had a good game, they say, 'No, that was a terrible game.'"It's good because I like to have people in my corner and they are my two closest [friends] for sure."They're so convinced they can beat me in one v one's every time. It's crazy but it's brotherly love."Agyemang, who grew up in East Hartford, Connecticut, said he became "obsessed" with football at the age of five, fed in part by his father, Patrick Sr."The first time I played for East Hartford, he was my coach. At the beginning I wasn't having as much fun – if the thing didn't go my way, I started crying."As time went on, I couldn't wait for Saturdays, I just wanted to keep playing the game and never stop."He added: "My parents worked multiple jobs and I thought that was normal until you see other people's families, and I thought, 'Oh shoot, my parents are working really hard.'"They've done a lot for me, they've sacrificed a lot for me – it's a blessing because I'm able to start helping them now."So whenever I score, if they're in the stands, I always point to them... after games, we always celebrate together. I call them first, we pray together before the game, and then we pray after games."Listen to the full interview with Patrick Agyemang and more about Derby County on BBC Sounds.
