Leadlight rallies for last-gasp success Leadlight bounced back from a defeat at odds of 2/5 favourite at Navan late last month to win the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Galway this afternoon. Again ridden by Declan McDonogh, the 11/4 shot looked set for the runner-up spot for a second time as the 4/7 favourite City Of Gold edged over a length clear before the furlong-pole. But it was all change late on as Leadlight came with a renewed effort and got up in the dying strides to score by a short-head, the same margin as he was beaten at Navan, with all of seven and a half lengths back to 7/1 chance Aladdin's Cave, a stable companion of the runner-up. Kevin Blake, representing winning trainer Joseph O'Brien, said "He was a little bit unfortunate the last day, so it was good to get compensation and he was very strong coming up the hill today. This looked a better race on paper, although I don't know how deep it was. "He has a rating of 80 and I don't know if he has gone much beyond that, but he stays very well. He is still a baby, he'll be a middle-distance horse next year and should continue to progress with racing. He'd love that ground and I'd say we'll get as many runs in as we can before the end of the season." Quotes from Tom Weekes
