DERMOT WELD and Michael Kinane shared in a short priced double at a sunny opening yesterday to the Listowel Festival when Call My Bluff raced to a comfortable success in the Castle Maiden, but Casey Tibbs was all out to win the featured Kingdom Premier Nursery.
In marked contrast to the Curragh on Saturday, the punters had much the better of the argument and a £34,000 plus Jackpot carryover, boosted to £93,736, was shared by 451 holders, each receiving £156. The day's aggregate was a record, £168,186.
The fast ground suited Call My Bluff whereas Casey Tibbs, a son of Sadler's Wells, prefers some ease. Switched to the outside Casey Tibbs gave chase to the leading pair, Sublime Beauty and Rasin, and responding to some backhanders by Kinane, got up under a typically strong ride to win by a head.
Previously successful at Galway, Casey Tibbs will be stepped up to listed company in the Eyrefield Lodge Stakes at Leopardstown on the last day of the Flat season. According to his handler, he will be well suited to the nine furlongs of that race.
Call My Bluff quickened inside the distance to win the Castle Maiden from Gardd. The Moyglare Stud colt made little impression on his debut at Tralee, but the going there was against him.
"He got bogged down. It is amazing that the ground was heavy at Tralee and firm here. Call My Bluff is a fast ground horse" said Weld.
Dermot Weld hopes to give his Arc bound Zagreb a good racecourse gallop later this week, providing there is some ease in the ground. That should leave the Irish Derby winner spot on for the big race on Sunday week in which, as is so often the case at Longchamp in early October, the ground could well be in his favour.
Stable companion Definite Article, short headed in last year's Irish Derby, will travel tomorrow to Woodbine, Toronto, for Sunday's Canadian International.
Successful in a listed race at the Curragh earlier this season, Definite Artible returned to headquarters to heat Timariarida in the Group Two Tattersalls Gold Cup. He was subsequently fifth in the Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown and last time out fourth in a Group One at Baden Baden.
Charlie Swan, who cracked a collar bone almost a month ago, returned to action yesterday, and from his second ride back, landed Evriza the easy winner of the Devon Inn Hurdle.
The Aidan O'Brien trained filly three year old made all the running and, apart from clouting the last flight when comfortably in command, jumped well. Rhum Dancer, who finished third and had twice before beaten Evriza, met with some interference but, as rider Conor O'Dwyer said, never let himself down on the ground.
Norman Williamson hooted home his fifth winner - two in England and three in Ireland - since his return from injury, landing the Patsy Byrne Beginners Chase on the Tom Taaffe trained favourite, Kentucky Baby, a first winner over fences for the stable.
Williamson and Richard Dunwoody had the race between them from some way out, but the winner rose to lead over the last and then drew away.
That good amateur rider, Caroline Barker steered the blinkered All The Vowels to a convincing win in the Aer Rianta Shannon Duty Free Q.R. Handicap.
