Mauricio leads his rivals passed the stands© Photo Healy Racing
Mauricio ran out an easy winner of the Roscommon Claiming Maiden, making all under Billy Lee for Willie McCreery.
A good second to The Anvil on his debut at Dundalk in March, the son of Helmet disappointed on his next two starts, before finishing seventh of fourteen on his most recent effort at Navan.
Sent off at 10/3, the Britesavers Limited owned gelding was ridden with over two furlongs to race, and kept on well from there to score by five and a half lengths. Machine Head (20s to 16s) got up to take second under Declan McDonogh for Charles O'Brien, while Circling Moon (7/2) was a short head back in third with Colin Keane in the saddle for Ger Lyons. Cul An Ti who was odds-on this afternoon, went off the 2/1 favourite, and she finished a disappointing sixth under Pat Smullen for Emmet Mullins.
McCreery said afterwards: "He did that well. It was a claimer and he'd run okay in maidens, probably good maidens as it turned out.
"I think that's the second by that sire to go on soft ground over the weekend, Helmet had a winner in the Curragh as well (Khuda).
"That was the only thing I was worried about. He's a big striding horse and I thought if he went on the ground he'd have a big chance."
Grand National winning trainer Dr Richard Newland later claimed Mauricio for E15,000.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
