Sun On The Run (left, Kevin Manning) beat (l to r) Sruthan, Ebeyina and Croi An Oir© Photo Healy Racing
Jim Bolger's four-year-old Sun On The Run returned from a mid-season break to score a gutsy victory in the feature corkracecourse.ie Navigation Stakes at Cork.
Unplaced in a Listed contest at Naas when last seen in early June, the gelding had looked progressive before that and was sent off a 7-2 chance in the hands of Kevin Manning in an extended mile race at the same level.
He took a lovely gap down the inside to throw down his challenge and although there were four in with a chance going to the final furlong, it was Sun On The Run who proved strongest, edging favourite Sruthan by half a length.
Bolger and Manning doubled up when Flight Risk (evens favourite), who wasn't far away in a Group Three in August, picked up from the quarter-mile pole to go clear in the Cork Racecourse Facebook Maiden, winning by half a length as Dancing Soprano closed.< Mandamus sprung a 33-1 surprise as he stepped up on previous performances to win at the fifth time of asking in the Coolmore Most Improved Maiden.
The race looked to be between Dawn Mirage and Corbata entering the final quarter-mile as they built a handy lead, but Sheila Lavery's youngster cut them down inside the final furlong and won by an impressive three lengths under Ronan Whelan.
Champion jumps trainer Willie Mullins picked up a nice prize when 5-1 favourite Laviniad broke her duck at the 13th attempt in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap, hitting the front a furlong and a half out under John Egan and quickly putting the race to bed to win by two and three-quarter lengths.
Ado McGuinness's seven-year-old Bubbly Bellini was always prominent in the Ticket Sales Online Handicap and with the testing conditions in his favour, the 11-2 favourite kept up the gallop under Declan McDonogh to win by two and a half lengths.
There was a terrific three-way finish to the Follow Us On Twitter Apprentice Handicap and it went to in-form teenager Donnacha O'Brien on John Joe Walsh's 7-1 shot Apache Gold who fought back to win by a nose after looking to have been
