Joesph O'Brien dominates in the Gowran Classic

Irish Examiner

2 days ago

Joseph O'Brien dominated the second running of the €200,000 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Gowran Classic in Gowran Park, saddling the first four home, the quartet spear-headed by 11/1 shot Green Triangle.
Blinkered for the first time and ridden by Ronan Whelan, the Gleneagles gelding, in the familiar colours of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, swooped late down the outside and, after a battle, denied stable-companion And So To Bed (Dylan Browne McMonagle) by a head, with a three-lengths gap back to top-weight Viking Invasion and Dignam rounding off the clean sweep for Carriganog in fourth.
'It's great prize money and a great result for us,' stated the delighted trainer. 'And I'm particularly happy for Ronan – he got injured off a filly of mine at the Curragh (Mveve on May 5) and this is his first day back riding.
'This is a talented horse, but a tricky customer. We've been riding him forward and we decided to try him in blinkers today. I told Ronan to take his time and give him a chance. And it all worked out well.
'I'd say we'll look at some of the nice three-year-old handicaps with him now.
'Before the race, I thought that, if And So To Bed came back to her Curragh form, she'd be the one to beat – and she did.'
Green Triangle was bringing up a double for Carriganos following the success of 11/8 favourite Dancign Teapot, under stable-jockey Dylan Browne McMonagle, in the opening Today's Gate Sponsored By The INPBA Fillies Maiden.
Soon handy from a high draw, the Camelot edged ahead early in the straight and stayed on to beat promising debutante by a length.
'She has a very good pedigree and has always been a good worker,' explained O'Brien. 'She's still rated low, but I think she might progress through the ranks and, hopefully, we might be thinking about black type later in the season.'
Winner of her maiden on this track, the Fozzy Stack-trained Gotomylovely made a successful handicap debut in the valuable Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap, dictating the pace and battling bravely for Joey Sheridan (his 13th win of the season) to beat top-weight Kayhana by a head, having been headed by the runner-up.
'She blew her chance at the start the last day and was better-behaved in the stalls today,' said Stack. 'I think she's better going right-handed and enjoys it here. She's won off 90 here, so she's entering the realms of listed class, so we'll have to look for some black type.'
Shortest-priced favourite of the day, the Ger Lyons-trained Game Point was readily turned over by John Murphy's newcomer Maestro Mark, a morning gamble from big prices, in the Ladies Day July 26th Maiden, the performance prompting his rider Gary Carroll to comment 'John and George told me he was a nice horse. He was green when he hit the front. But he gave me a lovely feel and felt very smart – I think there's a lot more to come from him.'
And trainer Gerry Keane has Galway in mind for Beauparc following her victory, under Jack Kearney, in the QuinnBet Handicap.