RACING:JOSEPH O'BRIEN got his father, Aidan, off the mark for the turf season when Robin Hood made all to land the Spin 103.8 Handicap at Leopardstown last night.
O’Brien was happy to push on from the front on the 100 to 30 favourite (backed in from 9 to 2), and he maintained a clear lead all the way down the home straight, beating Rising Wind by three lengths.
The Blue Wind Stakes at Naas looks set to be next on the agenda for Princess Highway after her impressive victory in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.
Dermot Weld’s filly beat some choicely-bred individuals by upwards of a length and three-quarters, and is poised to make the step up to Pattern company.
She had been strongly fancied on her debut in October but failed to handle soft ground. Weld said: “She’s a nice filly and that was a nice performance. I’d say that was a pretty good maiden – they went a true pace and she quickened up nicely.
“We’ll probably go for the Blue Wind Stakes at Naas now, that would be the logical progression and we’ll go from there.
“We won the Ribblesdale with her dam (Irresistible Jewel). She (Princess Highway) was a bit green and it was horrible ground (on her debut). She’s a top-of-the-ground filly and she’s a lovely individual.”
Jim Bolger has made a good start to the new season and he saw his Light Heavy floor favourite Furner’s Green in a tight finish to the Follow Leopardstown On Facebook Race.
The 13 to 8 market leader moved powerfully under Joseph O’Brien but Light Heavy, a son of Teofilo, found plenty for Kevin Manning and prevailed by half a length.
Bolger said: “A mile is the minimum for him and he’ll step up from now on. He liked that faster ground and he’ll improve throughout the year.
“We’ll know more when we run him over a mile and a half. We could look at some of the Derby trials, something like the Ballysax (Leopardstown, April 15th).”
Bolger and Manning completed a quick double when Vastitas ran out a surprise 16 to 1 winner of the Intervarsity Challenge Handicap.
Manning sent the four-year-old straight to the head of affairs and kicked clear approaching the two-furlong marker, with that move proving decisive as she came home a length and a half ahead of Olfa.
Declan McDonogh produced a trademark strong drive to get Azamata home in front in the Summer Festival Series at Leopardstown Maiden.
Hail led into the straight, but then Dynamite Dixie appeared to take control of affairs over a furlong out. McDonogh had got the 7 to 4 favourite into top gear by that stage, though, and responding well to the jockey’s urgings, he got up in the dying strides to win by a neck.
Mayhem Freddie edged out favourite Tannery in the Ross Nugent Foundation Handicap, the 50 to 1 outsider recording a three-quarters of a length verdict under Samantha Bell.
