Sunset Beauty comes home a very easy winner under Kevin Manning© Photo Healy Racing
Sunset Beauty (8/1) for Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning put in an excellent display to take the Friday Evening Racing Handicap over 1m 2f in convincing fashion on her first start on the Turf for the season.
The 5yo daughter of Whipper won three races last season. She won her handicap debut at Gowran in July by an easy five and a half lengths over seven furlongs and followed that up with another easy four and a half length victory at Leopardstown on her next start again over seven furlongs.
After finishing fifth and fourth on her next two outings she then dead heated with Flic Flac over seven furlongs at Dundalk in October in a 70 to 100 rated Handicap.
She then put in four decent efforts in defeat in Dundalk before her victory today.
On what was just her second start over 1m 2f, she tracked the leaders early on before making smooth headway to challenge in the early straight. She then hit the front over two furlongs from home and was clear a furlong out keeping on well to score by four and three parts of a length at the line.
The Noel Meade trained, Ben Curtis ridden Honourable Emperor who was going for a hat-trick of wins, kept on to take second at 6/1 while the Charles Byrnes trained, Niall McCullagh ridden Scottish Boogie was a further length and a quarter back in third at 9/2.
The 5/2 favourite Robin Hood for Aidan and Joseph O’Brien attempted to make all, just like he did when winning at Leopardstown recently, but he could find no extra when headed by the winner two furlongs from home and had to settle for fourth.
Jim Bolger wasn't present for the win but travelling head lad Ger Flynn said afterwards: "I’m delighted for her owner Paddy (brother of Jim Bolger).
"She had been running well and had been keeping in good company. She loved the step back up in trip and will go for another handicap now." (DM & TW)
