Gameball puts himself firmly in the shop window Andy Slattery's Gameball was impressive in posting a wide-margin victory on debut in the bumper at Ballinrobe. From as big as 13/2 this morning, the Yeats gelding was backed down to 13/8 favourite. He took over in the final quarter of a mile and really poured on the pressure under Adam Ryan. The five-year-old gelding powered clear in the final furlong and hit the line 12 lengths to the good over Largy Meadow (6/1). Tricksofthetrade rounded out the placings at 6/1. Stable representative Willie Slattery said: "He is a nice horse, is well-bred and, to be fair to Dan (Breen, successful breeder and owner in the yard), he only breeds a handful but is great at the job. "Brian's (Slattery, brother) wife Eimear owns this horse and he'll either now be sold or go for a winners' bumper. He is a half-brother to a Grade 1 winner (Marie's Rock) and Arcadian Sunrise, who was also a good horse." Additional reporting by Tom Weekes
