With the curtain to the Irish Flat season being raised by Naas as redevelopment continues apace at the Curragh, County Meath handler Ger Lyons started with a bang notching a one-three in the feature handicap the Tote Irish Lincolnshire.
In tacky and testing conditions at the County Kildare venue, the 17-strong field were taken along by the Damian English-trained Tribal Path.
Brendan Bracken in the second colours of Spratt and Jones was held up in midfield by Gary Carroll. As the runners swung into the straight a few stayed on the far side with the remainder coming down the middle of the track.
Carroll unleashed his mount on the far side in the final furlong and a half and he kept on strongly to beat last year’s runner-up Aussie Valentine and stable mate Sea Wolf by a length and a half.
“I’ve had great luck with this horse, it’s usually nearer September I win on him but he handles that ground really well and he’s a Group or Listed horse running in a handicap,” reflected Carroll.
“He relaxed well with me, as we were turning into the straight we got a bit of daylight and he took off and ran to the line well.
“He leads all the important bits of work at home and never misses a beat and he’s a brilliant horse.”
A son of Big Bad Bob, the eight-year-old was back into handicap company for the first time since September 2015 when he unseated his rider in the British Cambridgeshire.
Lyons said: “He’s been around Glenburnie long enough and he knows the time of day.
“He got a lovely split up the rail and Gary gets a great tune out of him. My horses in general don’t handle this type of ground and I think they’ve all ran well today. You’d like to think there’s another stakes race for him down the country somewhere.”
I’ve had great luck with this horse
Earlier in the afternoon, the Mick Channon-trained Czabo landed the Group 3 Park Express Stakes over the mile trip.
Under Graham Lee, the four-year-old daughter of Sixties Icon kept on well under pressure to lead entering the final furlong and bravely fended off the challenge of Ballydoyle favourite Somehow by half-a-length.
