Star Harbour and Colin Keane beat Rebel Tale© Photo Healy Racing
Star Harbour (16/5) made light of a marked drop in distance to land the Castleisland Rated Race in decisive fashion.
The Sea The Stars gelding raced in second before hitting the front inside the final quarter mile. Quickly driven clear by Colin Keane, the race was in safe keeping in the final furlong and a length and a half was the margin of victory over the front-running Rebel Tale (12/1) who stayed going for second.
A good winner over ten furlongs at Navan in May when fitted with headgear for the first time, the winner, who cost 400K as a yearling, had finished sixth in the Ulster Derby, over an extended mile and a half, on his previous outing.
Winning trainer Ado McGuinness said: "It was a top class ride by a top class jockey.
"He is entered in the Galway Mile but three-year-olds don't have a great record in it and he’s in at the Curragh on Sunday as well over 1m2f. However I'm not inclined to run him back quick, unless the handicapper slaughters him, and he might go straight to Galway.
"I'd say he just didn't stay the last day at Down Royal and we put the visor on him to sharpen him up as he is very laid-back and lazy at home.
"That's the way he is but he has loads of ability and is a smashing horse and I think he'll improve again. I think he'll go places."
Quotes from Thomas Weekes
