Timjoe and Colin Keane, red, to the fore in Dundalk© Photo Healy Racing
It was the Timjoe show in Dundalk as Terence O’Brien’s horse scored a clear-cut success in the mile and a half apprentice handicap.
Colin Keane sent the six-year-old gelding after the leader Settle For Red as the field turned for home. With two furlongs to go 6/1 shot Timjoe got his head in front and he galloped away to win by two and a half lengths from staying on outsider Juara (20/1).
Terence O’Brien said: “He was probably entitled to do that after his last run here. He disappointed at Wexford the last day; his race was run when he didn’t jump off and he can be a bit of a rogue. He stays well and he’ll come back here.”
It was another six lengths back to Darraghs Day in third at 25/1. Well Insured was hampered after a furlong and a half and unseated Gary Phillips. Conor Hoban (Settle For Red) and Leigh Roche (The Frog Prince) got two-day bans for careless riding in this incident.
Phillips was able to walk in, but had injured his knee and was replaced by Conor Hoban on Ningaloo Reef in the fourth race.
Timjoe has been versatile in his career – winning a point-to-point at Dawstown in May before tasting victory at Ballinrobe in a mile and six handicap in August.
Front-running Settle For Red, the 2/1 favourite from 7/2 this morning, faded after being headed and finished fifth.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
