Monday at Naas may have been dominated by Shane Foley, but Tuesday at Leopardstown was a Ballydoyle benefit day as Aidan O’Brien and the Coolmore partners had a four-timer, while jockey Séamie Heffernan rode a double at the South Co. Dublin venue.
Cormorant (12/1), a 1.05m Guineas son of Kingman, lead from start to finish to win the Group 3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial by half a length over 1m 2f. The winner, under jockey Pádraig Beggy, brought home a Ballydoyle clean sweep of the places, as the 11/8 favourite Russian Emperor (Séamie Heffernan) failed to peg back the leader, with Iberia (5/2) finishing another length and a half back in third place.
Tiger Moth (16/5), a half brother to Coach House, won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden under Wayne Lordan, a race where O’Brien trained the first four home. Tiger Moth got the better of stable companions Dawn Patrol, the 5/4 favourite, by half a length, with Order Of Australia (11/2) third and Amhrán Na Bhfiann (22/1) fourth.
Ennistymon (11/8f) and Séamie Heffernan won the first race of the day as the full sister to Seán O’Casey got off the mark when bravely edging out Shamiyna (9/2) by a head, with 100/1 shot Astadash a further half length behind in third in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.
Heffernan later claimed a double when a brilliant front-running performance from Love Locket (6/1) saw her avoid trouble in the Leopardstown (Fillies) Trial Stakes (Group 3) over 7 furlongs. The daughter of No Nay Never beat Know It All (5/1) from the Johnny Murtagh stable with Precious Moments (11/1) in third.
With Aidan O’Brien and Ballydoyle having taken the first four races on the card, Jim Bolger broke the Co. Tipperary stranglehold on proceedings when Kevin Manning drove Ten Year Ticket (8/1) home to win the Holden Plant and Rental (C&G) Trial Stakes over 7 furlongs.
The Rock Of Gibraltar gelding held off King Of Athens (10/1) by a neck with Prince Of Naples (16/1) another length and three-quarters behind. A sad postscript to the race was confirmation that the favourite, a three-year-old son of Galileo, Year Of The Tiger (6/5f), who went wrong in the home straight, suffered a fatal injury.
In the Leopardstown Handicap, Confidence High (28/1) was a good winner for Andy Oliver and jockey Billy Lee. Another big price runner, David Garrick (18/1) was runner-up for trainer Edward Harty, with Star Of Cashel (10/1) in third.
Divisions 1 and 2 of the Leopardstown Handicap went to Lady Savanah (22/1) for Tom McCourt and jockey Andrew Slattery and Palabres (20/1) for trainer Peter Fahey and Colin Keane respectively.
Wednesday sees racing at Navan where the 7-runner Irish Stallion Farms EBF Salsabil Stakes over 1m 2f will be the feature of an 8-race card which starts at 1.00pm.
