3 minute read

Famous Name extended his record at Leopardstown to nine wins from 12 starts with an ultimately comfortable second victory in the Group 3 Meld STakes for Pat Smullen and Dermot Weld.

The six-year-old has been a force at Listed and Group level for many seasons and again demonstrated his liking for the track, winning by four-and-a-half lengths.

Sent off the 4-9 favourite, Famous Name was settled in third by Smullen as Jan Vermeer blazed a trail down the back straight, establishing a lead of several lengths.

The Ballydoyle runner’s gap diminished round the bend as Smullen stalked up into second, with the hard-at-work Dunboyne Express clinging on to his coat tails.

Seamie Heffernan elected to stay on the far side rail as the field straightened for home, despite winners in previous races coming down the centre.

The move failed to pay off as Famous Name stayed on strongly to go clear, with Dunboyne Express doggedly taking second.

"It's always difficult to ride a race when one goes off in front like that as I didn't want to give him too much rope or towDeclan [McDonogh on Dunboyne Express] into the race," said Pat Smullen.

"He did it well with his penalty and was relaxed in his race and is a happy horse."

Mark Weld, son of absent trainer Dermot Weld, added: "The plan is to run him in the Bayerisches Zuchtrennen in Munich on Sunday week as the ground is soft over there at the moment as it has been a damp week.

"Market Booster won it for us before [in 1993] and we've had four or five in the race before and they have all finished in the first three."