Father Christmas, blue and orange, gets up to win in Roscommon© Photo Healy Racing
Father Christmas wore down Alertness to give Aidan and Joseph O'Brien a winner at Roscommon this evening.
The 9/10 favourite made full use of the extended mile and two in this maiden for three-year-olds as he stayed on from fourth two furlongs out to collar Alertness just over 50 yards from home.
The runner-up was always to the fore as he raced in a close second to Pretty Love before Kevin Manning drove him into the lead at the two pole.
Joseph O'Brien had started to get busy on the odds on favourite and his supporters must have been watching proceedings warily as several backhanders were administered.
However, he saw out the trip well and always looked to be getting there inside the final furlong.
"He stays well. He's still very green and that was his first time going right-handed," Joseph O'Brien said.
"He was unlucky not to win over a mile in Leopardstown the last day. The penny dropped late with him. Again it took a while to drop today. I suppose he hasn't run for a while. You would imagine he would get a bit further. He's possibly a bit better than he has shown today.
"I always thought I was going to win. I felt from a good way out I was going to get there but it just took me a bit of time to get him organised and to get him together. I think he's a nice colt.
"I'd imagine he might be in the picture for a handicap at Ascot or something like that. He's progressive but he has a bit of growing up to do yet."
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
