3 minute read
Flight Risk sprung a 50-1 shock in the feature Big Bad Bob Gladness Stakes at the Curragh on a big afternoon for Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning.
The race-fit four-year-old, who was well beaten at Cork a fortnight ago, was brought with a dream run near the far rail by Manning to challenge for the lead in the final quarter of a mile.
He galloped on resolutely to take the Group Three honours comfortably by a length and a quarter from another outsider, 33-1 shot Piri Wango, with Charlie Hills' raider Cable Bay coming through late to take third place.
Another British challenger, the David Nicholls-trained Sovereign Debt, held every chance but had nothing more to give in the closing stages and was well held.
Bolger, who went on to a treble with his jockey, said: "Pat O'Donovan rides him out regularly and told me the other day that he could be a Group One horse if everything fell right for him. Everything fell right and he's on his way.
"He got bogged down in Cork and this better ground helped. I'd like to come back for something like this on Derby weekend."
The trainer sent out two newcomers in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden and they landed a one-two for the stable.
Ard San Aer broke smartly and led the field of juveniles along before being joined by stablemate Mimicking down the outside going to the furlong pole. The 2-1 favourite, racing in the colours of Godolphin from her wide draw in stall one, soon asserted and went away to score by a length and three-quarters.
Bolger said: "Kevin was very happy with her. She could go for the Marble Hill (at the Curragh next month) and maybe (Royal) Ascot. She was a little bit green but was on her own out there, and I thought she did it well from the stall she was in. The second is speedy and hopefully he has a future as well."
Better was to come for Manning and Bolger as Group One winner Parish Hall (9-2) travelled well throughout on the way to landing the Alleged Stakes by two lengths.
The winner's stable companion Loch Garman, having his first run since finishing unplaced in the French Derby in June 2013, shaped most encouragingly for second place in the Listed contest, ahead of Waltzing Matilda in third.
Bolger said of the winner: "The Mooresbridge (back at the Curragh on May 4) is a possibility. Loch Garman is on his way back. He got badly carved up in the French Derby the year before last, and it took a while for the wounds to heal."
Aidan O'Brien won the three-year-olds' Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden, but not with favourite Los Barbados, as Sandro Botticelli (11-1) took a nice gap up the rails inside the final furlong under Seamie Heffernan to finish three-quarters of a length ahead.
Penny Pepper (5-1) was twice second when trained in England last season and won on her debut for Kevin Prendergast in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden, asserting from the quarter-mile pole under Chris Hayes to score by two and a half lengths.
Hayes doubled up when Papa's Way (9-2) put up a gutsy show to hold off all-comers in the Clongowes Wood College Bicentenary Handicap, while Shane Foley brought In Salutem (11-1) through from the rear to take the Cunnighams Of Kildare Handicap.
