Spiorad Saoirse (blue & yellow diamonds) holds off Atlas (nearest)© Photo Healy Racing
The three-year-old plus mile handicap at Dundalk produced another cracking finish with Spiorad Saoirse just edging the verdict for Andy Slattery.
Ben Coen was seen at his best on the well-backed 9/2 shot (12/1 this morning) as he produced his mount to lead a furlong-and-a-half from home. Atlas threw down a strong challenge inside the final furlong and was just denied by a short-head at the line as the pair flashed past together.
It was a 30th career winner for Ben Coen, meaning his claim will now be reduced to 5lb.
“I kept him in training and earlier on when Ben was going for the championship we picked this race for him,” said Slattery.
“I was schooling him over hurdles, he's brilliant to jump hurdles, and I was going to run him in a schooling hurdle at Tipperary but it was called off because of the ground.
“We thought he ran a bit flat in Naas but jumping hurdles at home has brought him back to life again.
“He will go hurdling at some stage. I'll talk to the owners and see whether we give him a run in a three-year-old hurdle or let him off and come back for the Lincoln or something like that.
“He was fourth in a Cambridgshire this year and he goes on any ground.
“He seems to like this place, he has never even done a gallop here so we were just seeing how it went and he seemed to like it. He's a nice horse.
“This place suits him as he wants a true run race, flat to the boards at the start. He was only barely hanging in there early on and the better the race the better he'll run.”
