Celebration and Colin Keane © Photo Healy Racing
Colin Keane moved four ahead in the title race when Celebration ran out a convincing winner of the seven-furlong handicap at Cork.
Ger Lyons' charge hadn't enjoyed the best passage when mid-division in the Bold Lad Handicap at the Curragh last month.
Stepping up to seven for the first time in his career he was produced to challenge a furlong out and got on top in the closing stages for a length-and-three-quarters win at odds of 5/1.
4/1 joint-favourite Not A Bad Oul Day ran another solid race to take the runner-up spot, a head in front of Fair Game The other market leader, Keep Believing finished well in fourth.
"Colin said after he rode him the last day that he is finding time to warm up in those five furlong sprints and is getting caught in trouble early-doors in big fields when other horses has more pace than him,” said Shane Lyons.
"It was a good shout stepping him up to seven and he got it really well today. We won't ever run him on quick ground and gives us that feel at home that he'd appreciate ease in the ground.
"I don't think there is another race from him between now and the end of the season but we'll be looking. He definitely won't go to Dundalk and the Lincoln in the spring is in the back of our head. Colin said to stick him to seven but he'll be holding an entry in it and we won't know whether he'd get a mile until he runs.
"Fair play to Cork as the track isn't in as bad as everyone is expecting and it's in great shape and that's brilliant for Colin too and it's nearly a 'six-pointer' for him."
(Quotes by Tom Weekes)
