Niall McCullagh looks around for dangers aboard Seventh Sign© Photo Healy Racing
The Tommy Carmody trained Seventh Sign quickly followed up on his facile win at Sligo on Wednesday (wearing blinkers for the first time there) as he took the opener at Ballinrobe this evening, the Irish Jockeys Association Handicap.
Ridden by Niall McCullagh, as he was at Sligo, the 3yo son of Pivotal, who was sent off the 6/4 favourite, hit the front three furlongs out.
Unlike Sligo he didn't get away on his rivals to the same extent as Annie Go and Zemario went with him.
He was ridden over two furlongs on and he kept on best to hold on by half-length despite being pressed in the closing stages by both Annie Go and Zemario.
The Tony Martin trained Annie Go had to settle for the runner-up spot at 20/1 under Fergal Lynch while Zemario ran a cracker on just his second start for Joe Murphy to finish a neck back in third under Gary Carroll also at 20/1.
The front trio went twenty lengths clear of the fourth placed horse who was Shanrod for Mick Halford and Shane Foley.
The winning bay colt was having his first start over 1m 6f today and he is now two from three since joining Carmody from William Haggas.
Tommy Carmody said afterwards: “I’m delighted with that. He had a hard enough race there and we will give him a break now. We will leave him alone and give him some time off.
(On-course reporting by Thomas Weekes)
