Slaney Drive makes all under McDonogh to shed maiden tag Having reached the frame on both previous starts, the Jim Bolger trained Slaney Drive made all under Declan McDonogh to win the Donohue Marquees Maiden at the Curragh. Third over two-furlongs further here on his introduction, the son of New Approach was then unlucky to bump into a well above average rival when runner-up at Leopardstown on his second start. Well supported into 1/1f this afternoon, the Bolger trained colt was smartly into stride from stalls. Pushed along over three-furlongs out, Slaney Drive galloped on strongly up the home straight to beat Saratoga by four-and-a-half-lengths. Declan McDonogh said, “He got into a nice rhythm today whereas the last day he was looking at things and just not bringing me. Today he was taking me the whole way and when I gave him the office to go, he jumped out of my hands. “I think a mile and a half is good for him and when there is a little ease in the ground ten is good for him. He seemed to handle that ground, which is yielding, nicely today. “He’s a very likeable horse and a work in progress. Jim has been very patient with him, and he could be a stakes horse in the making.” Additional reporting by Alan Magee.
