Earls (centre) © Photo Healy Racing
The 3/1 co-favourite Earls gained a fifth career success, and a first since joining Gavin Cromwell, when landing the Londis Roscommon Handicap.
Runner-up three times from five previous starts this season, the five-year-old was being pushed along with only one behind him early in straight. He came through between horses inside the final quarter-mile and led inside the final furlong before being ridden out by Gary Carroll to beat the front-running Verhoyen by a length and a half.
Cromwell, doubling up after taking the opener with Supposedtobe said: “We left the blinkers off him and that was the difference. He was racing too keenly.
“Garvan Donnelly, my head lad now, trained him before and he always wore blinkers so I weighed in with that.
“They went very hard and it opened up nicely for him. Gary said he wouldn’t mind trying him over a mile.”
Quotes from Alan Magee
