Judge Paddy Graffin was arguably the busiest man at Limerick last night with no less than five prints from the judge's box to decide the outcome of the seven races.
The feature event on the card was the E27,000 Chesser Auctioneers Race which was won by Dermot Weld's Favourite Nation. The well backed 4/7 favourite (from 4/5) was ridden along by Pat Smullen to lead over a furlong out, eventually beating Marfinca by three and a half lengths.
Weld was represented by his son Chris, who commented 'he did it well although we have no plans for him at the moment.' He added 'the ground had gone a bit dead for him and he wants good ground. He should be capable of stepping up on that run.'
David Wachman's well bred Perfecto benefited from a step up to a mile and a half when winning the 1m4f fillies' maiden under Michael Cleere. The daughter of Peintre Celebre, who is out of Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Tarascon, just held the late challenge of 11/10 favourite Spring Opera by a head.
Wachman was absent although Cleere did report 'that was her first time running over this distance and she should come on from that. That is my 12th career winner.'
Joe Crowley's Belle Artiste was expected to overcome a sequence of three runner-up placings in the opening two year old maiden. However the 9/10 favourite again found one too good, failing to peg back the John Oxx trained Alayan who made virtually all under Michael Kinane.
A handicap at Galway is on the agenda for Kestral Heights after she landed the fillies handicap for trainer Eoin Griffin. Fran Berry pushed the winner to the front a furlong out and eventually held the late challenge of unlucky 3/1 favourite Peineve who was short of room in the straight.
Danny Grant was seen at his strongest when forcing Nic's Colleen home ahead of Shaykhan in the Nad/Scotts Handicap. The Pat Flynn trained daughter of Nicolette joined Shaykhan over a furlong from home and got the better in a ding-dong battle with the runner-up.
The Budweiser Summer Handicap was another race which kept the judge occupied, with Solemn Promise holding the late effort of Stuttgart to win by a short head. Winning trainer Tom Hogan later reported that 'the owners, Kap Syndicate, bought Solemn Promise for E3,000 last year and she was running in her first handicap there. She had all the weight advantages and David Moran is great value for his seven pound claim.'
Riders in the concluding Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap were not allowed carry whips and saw two very capable riders battle out a close finish. Winning rider Jerry O'Dwyer, on Dow Jones, held Paudraic Beggy's mount Moore's Law to win by a short head, although either of the two jockeys would surely have given almost anything for the use of a whip in the closing stages.
Thomas Weekes.
