Loved and Seamus Heffernan© Photo Healy Racing
< Jacobean may have been costly to follow this season, but those who kept faith in the 5-4 favourite were rewarded with victory in the Croom House Stud Maiden at Limerick.
Aidan O'Brien's charge was sent straight to the front by Seamie Heffernan, who only had to keep him up to his work to score by two lengths from Chenega Bay
Heffernan and O'Brien completed a double when Loved justified even-money favouritism in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.< Duchessofflorence cut out the early running, but when her challenge faded two furlongs out, Heffernan had Loved perfectly placed to strike and she ran on well, though stablemate On A Pedestal finished strongly for second and was only half a length down at the line.< Spinamiss confirmed the promise of her Curragh debut second when landing the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Fillies Maiden.
Paul Deegan's 8-11 favourite looked a sitting duck when leading at the furlong pole under Chris Hayes as she had a number of challengers queueing up behind, but she repelled them all, eventually beating Zeb's Fantasy by a head.
David Marnane's Kodiac's Back (3-1 favourite) got up late under Connor King to beat Tom Dooley by a length and a half in the Grant Thornton Handicap.< House Limit was the well-fancied 11-8 favourite for the irishinjuredjockeys.com Apprentice Handicap, but he was made to pull out all the stops to score.
Ross Coakley appeared to have plenty up his sleeve when House Limit travelled smoothly into the lead on the home straight, but Meadowlands would not go away without a scrap, and only a head separated them at the line.< He's Our Man may not have been the best fancied horse in the 5th July All American Family Fun Handicap, but he travelled superbly for Chris Hayes and bounded clear in the final furlong to cause a 16-1 upset.
