Smoke Them Out completes Curragh double for Sam Coen Young apprentice Sam Coen enjoyed a great afternoon at the Curragh as Smoke Them Out added to his earlier win when making all to land the 1xbet.ie Safer Gambling Handicap. Having ridden a patient, waiting race on his first winner, Coen showed his versatility here, leading throughout on the Tom McCourt trained gelding. In a race that developed into a match between his mount and Key Witness from two furlongs out, Coen had to be strong before eventually getting the 7/1 chance home in front by three-quarters-of-a-length. Tom McCourt said: “It was just the ground. He won last year at Cork on slow ground and was second in Naas. “He ran well here at the beginning of the year but we just haven’t had that ground all year. “We gave him a try at Dundalk. He ran well the first day but I’d say he mightn’t have let himself down last week. “There is a big difference on that ground. I think there might be something else back here for him, whatever there is on soft we’ll try and keep going anyway. “It’s just a pity that he’s that bit ground dependant. He’s very effective on that.” Additional reporting by Gary Carson.
