Leopardstown provided Harry Rogers with the highlight of his riding career and on Saturday it did the same for his emerging career as a trainer when Livadiya sprang a 20 to 1 surprise in the Golden Pages Handicap.
A long stint as a jockey provided only fleeting trips to the headlines for Rogers but Herbert United was a promoted winner of the 1986 Irish Champion Hurdle when Keslin got thrown out by the stewards.
However, if those years led to him being largely described as a journeyman the same cannot be said for his new life and Livadiya was a timely boost to a training career that is in only its third year.
"She was bought as a broodmare and I only got her to try and win a race. I suppose that's my job done," beamed Co Louth-based Rogers. Bred by the Aga Khan, Livadiya cost just £3,200 at Goffs after a less than startling career in France, but she has really paid off for Newry owner Gerry McStay. Due to a mechanical failure with the stalls the race was started by flag and the field was led into the straight by Supreme Certainty. Eddie Ahern was pushing Livadiya along before the turn in but the filly picked up brilliantly in the straight and ran home a remarkably easy winner from Mudaa-eb and Grinkov.
"I thought she should have won the Ulster Oaks and if she had done everyone would have said what a chance she had here," Rogers argued. That argument sounded all the more convincing since Rogers and Ahern had earlier won the mile and five handicap with Aljay.
"It's all happening today!" was the Rogers verdict and he was fulsome in his praise of Ahern who rode an astute race to get Aljay home by a neck from the favourite Kate Emily.
It was the perfect send off for Ahern who later jetted off to ride Dermot Weld's Pine Dance in the Grade 2 American Derby in Arlington, Chicago last night.
Weld was also on the Leopardstown scoresheet in the opener but not with the favourite Still As Sweet. Instead, it was the hitherto disappointing Royal Command who chose Saturday to come right and win comfortably.
"I'm not in the least surprised he won but I'm very surprised about the 10 to 1 SP. He's always promised a lot," said Mark Weld.
Royal Command's rider Pat Shanahan doubled up on the John Dunlop-trained Pairumani Star in the Challenge Stakes, beating off the other cross-channel raider Royal Rebel by a head.
Shanahan missed out on a treble when Longueville Legend just got run out of the two-year-old maiden by Affianced with the odds-on Martinelli back in third.
The 7lb claimer Pat Cosgrave notched up his fifth winner of the season when Kevin Prendergast's Rainbow Melody landed the seven-furlong handicap.
