The Ardilaun House Hotel Oyster Stakes is the highlight of this three -day meeting, and Ballybrit specialist Dermot Weld yesterday provided the winner in the shape of Mutakarrim.
Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum's home-bred headed Affianced in the final 100 yards and was driven out by Pat Smullen to score by a head. Weld was back at the Curragh supervising work for his runners this weekend, but commented by phone: "He was a little disappointing in the Ebor at York, and the drop back in trip suited him today."
Tony Mullins saddled Rash Decision and The Baltimore Man to take the opening two jump races. A couple of fine leaps at the two fences in the dip greatly helped Rash Decision on his way to a length victory over Young Whack in the Deacy Concannon Novice Chase.
"Ruby (Walsh) said he hasn't rode a novice to jump like him for some time," said Mullins, who has next year's Galway Plate as the main long-term objective for the six-year-old gelding.
The Baltimore Man jumped to the front five out for David Casey in the CT Electric Handicap Hurdle and kept on well from the home turn to beat well-backed favourite Blue by four lengths. "He's very special and I think it was the cut in the ground which beat him here last month," said Mullins, who nominated a handicap at the Murphys meeting at Cheltenham in November as a possible target.
The Jackpot pool swelled to £34,064 and 12 punters received a dividend of £2,129 after Joking Rebuff sprinted past Marko Jadeo well inside the final furlong for an unlikely victory in the Loughnane Meat Products Handicap.
