Alder beats Hiawatha (obscured) by a head © Photo Healy Racing
The two-year-old maiden that got the Killarney July meeting under way will probably work out to be a good race of its type and it was 2/1 favourite Altair who came out narrowly on top.
Donnacha O'Brien's colt, related to a host of winners and fourth on debut at the Curragh, went past front-running Arabian Legend at the furlong pole. Easy to back morning favourite Hiawatha made his bid on the inside at the same time and the pair had a good tussle to the line, albeit with neither jockey being overly hard on their mounts. The winning margin was a head.
Winning rider Gavin Ryan, who will be in action on the supplemented Piz Badile in Thursday's Grand Prix de Paris, said: "We liked him the first day at the Curragh when he had a nice run in fourth and got a good education. He is still a shade raw and in the last two furlongs he never really straightened up and will be a nice horse going forward.
"I could never really get a crack into him but he has won without having an overly hard race. It is a long straight here, he had a good look at the stands and got headed but battled back well.
"He is by Australia and they are all good, genuine and tough and he will definitely stay further."
Quotes from Tom Weekes
