5 days ago
Gypsy Queen quickens to emphatic victory
Stepping up on her recent debut in Limerick, the Willie McCreery-trained Gypsy Queen ran out an emphatic winner of the six-furlong End Of School Year Maiden in Fairyhouse.
The well-backed Pinatubo filly came from off the pace under Billy Lee to master uneasy favourite Sapphire Princess, before beating long-time leader Manhattan Chute by almost five lengths.
'She's home-bred, so this is important,' stated McCreery. 'Billy said she loved the bit of ease in the ground. She quickened up nicely and won well.
'She was on her head early on, so seven furlongs might suit her. We'll try to find a 'winners of one' or a fillies' handicap for her next.'
Jamie Powell recorded his fifth win of the season and was seen to good effect on board Danny Murphy's No Return, a Curragh maiden winner in the spring, in the six-furlong Fairynights @Fairyhouse Handicap.
Although drawn high, the Kodiac gelding broke well, was soon able to dictate the pace and, in the closing stages, kept on well to beat top-weight Misappropriation by a length and a quarter with favourite Gazelle D'or, from off the pace, in third.
'There was no pace angle and Jamie got a soft lead,' commented the successful trainer. 'He's a good money-spinner and six furlongs is perfect for him.'
Owner-trainer Matty Tynan declared: 'I'm in the game a long time and this is the best day of my racing life,' after his grand-daughter Orla, 18, who is apprenticed to Andy Slattery, savoured her first success in the saddle.
'I'm glad I'm alive to see it, my grand-daughter riding a winner for me,' after 33-1 shot Solomon Coop bolted up in the House Restaurant Apprentice Handicap.
Winner of an 'optional claimer' in Ballinrobe last time and better suited by this more galloping track, the Johnny Murtagh-trained Fantazy Man defied a mark of 81 and top-weight in the concluding Country & Western Handicap, staying on dourly up the straight for Ben Coen to beat Edergole's Angel by almost five lengths and giving the impression that he'll have no problem stepping-up to a mile and a half.
And Murtagh's apprentice Yudish Geerdharry enjoyed a welcome change of luck when taking the seven-furlong handicap on board the Diego Dias-trained 40-1 shot Lovely, who pipped Mother Mara, denying trainer Ger O'Leary, successful earlier with Yaxchilan, a double.
