ROSCOMMON REPORTDARIAK PRODUCED a shock in the feature race at Roscommon last night as Davy Flannery drove the Tom Foley-trained grey to victory in the Knockcroghery Hurdle.
The 16 to 1 chance was produced on the run to the second-last and showed plenty of guts after the final flight to hold Impudent and 7 to 4 favourite Valain, who finished best of all, in a tight finish.
Foley said: "He is handicapped nicely on the Flat and the Ladies Derby at the Curragh could be a target." Foley's daughter, Adrienne, would take the ride there.
Plenty of attention surrounded Leg Spinner in the two-mile event but Tony Martin's Newmarket Cesarewitch winner was easy to back beforehand and could never get in a blow, eventually finishing seventh.
Kiss N Run (2 to 1 favourite) was well fancied to build on his encouraging debut last month over a mile at Leopardstown when fourth to Royal Astronomer and despite drifting in the ring beforehand did enough to get off the mark.
The Andrew Oliver-trained three-year-old showed plenty of application as he held the challenge of Prize Spirit after a close tussle through the final furlong.
His trainer suggested afterwards that he needed every yard of this journey so a step up in trip is probably on the cards next time, most likely in a handicap.
Oliver said: "The horse would want every yard of that seven furlongs. He was staying on at Leopardstown and he's tough and genuine.
"I'm pleased enough and we will see what mark he gets before deciding on plans."
The Ladies Day At Roscommon July 7th Handicap looked an open race on paper with several holding chances, and it yielded a shock winner in the shape of Whatwodmyrasay who scored comfortably in the finish.
The well-exposed daughter of Indian Lodge had a mark of 64 at one stage in her career. She raced off 46 here with the benefit of a run behind her this term, and leading inside the final furlong kept on well to land the spoils.
The Stephen Cox-trained five-year-old asserted in the last 200 hundred yards before readily holding the running-on 5 to 1 joint-favourite Espartano by a length and three-quarters.
Winning owner Patrick O'Reilly said after the 20 to 1 success: "She might go a six-furlong race in Naas. She is in foal to Rakti."
Amy Kathleen Parsons succeeded where the likes of Ruby Walsh, Davy Russell, Pat Smullen and others have failed as she got Tom McCourt's Blaze Trailer home in front in the First Choice Betting Castlerea Handicap.
The 13 to 2 winner went into the mile-and-a-half event as a maiden after 30 runs on the Flat and over hurdles but a one-and-a-quarter-length success over Pekan One put that record straight. He asserted under a well-judged ride to record his first career win and his trainer intends mixing it over the coming months.
