Fran Berry captured the riding honours on the concluding day of the Tramore festival yesterday when recording a double, compliments of Back For Good and The Ghan.
Berry had to work hard in the opener on Tom Lacy's Back For Good to shrug off Load And Lock and Garrett Cotter to scoop the WLR FM Handicap. The Bob Back gelding, a maiden winner over the course two years ago, was bringing his tally on the flat to four. Berry completed his brace on Declan Gillespie's The Ghan in the next.
Paul Carberry also made the winner's enclosure when scoring on 2 to 1 favourite Moscow Express in the Charmian Hill Memorial Handicap.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Jessica Harrington's Space Trucker, carrying the colours of race sponsor Peter Queally's wife Eileen, captured the featured Queally Group Handicap in the hands of Wayne Smith. Pat Hughes stole the limelight at a well-attended Dundalk yesterday when saddling a double with Jazz King and Polenka.
Jazz King was installed the 2 to 7 favourite in the opening Guinness Novice Hurdle and never gave punters an anxious moment when making most under Adrian Maguire to beat Oriel Dancer by a very comfortable 10 lengths.
Francis Ferris, (17), looks an apprentice of considerable talent judged on his handling of Polenka in the Kevin Cumiskey Memorial Handicap. The Clondalkin rider gave the daughter of Polish Precedent a forceful drive to head the odds-on Colombian Green well inside the final furlong for a length success.
Royal South brought his tally for the year to five wins and recorded his third victory at this venue when justifying favouritism in the Baileys Handicap for father and son team Des and Declan McDonogh with a length victory over Fairy Oak. Second Empire got his season back on track when taking the Ridgewood Pearl Desmond Stakes in convincing style at the Curragh on Saturday.
The Fairy King colt, last year's top-rated Irish juvenile, suffered an interrupted preparation for the classics when pulling a muscle in the spring but appears to have benefited from a 10-week break since disappointing in the Epsom Derby judged on this three length defeat of English raider Centre Stalls.
