Band Of Outlaws (yellow sleeves)© Photo Healy Racing
Joseph O’Brien completed an extraordinary across-the-card, three country treble at Limerick today as his Band Of Outlaws landed the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden to add to earlier wins for the trainer at Bath, in England and Downpatrick, in Northern Ireland.
Band Of Outlaws, 9/4 in to 5/4 favourite, was today recouping losses incurred in two previous outings. The son of Fast Company met trouble in running on debut at Fairyhouse on June 1, when backed on-track from 20/1 in to 8s, and again failed to win at Roscommon on Monday, when cut late-on from 9/4 - 11/8f, only for today’s winning jockey Donnacha O’Brien to lose his irons early-on before finishing second.
Today, he stayed on gamely to set the record straight for a half length win over Vicky Cristina
Trainer O’Brien, it is safe to assume, was the first person to complete the Bath-Downpatrick-Limerick treble and although absent from Limerick, brother Donnacha later commented “the last day my foot just came out of an iron and I couldn’t get it back but to finish second without irons was a very good performance.
“He’s a lovely horse and today, when I gave him a belt or two, he quickened up to win his race but just idled when he got there.
“Ground-wise, I was a bit worried coming here today but he is versatile and handled it just as well as with a little ease.“
O’Brien’s Bath winner was Lynn’s Memory, under Jimmy Quinn, while Immortal Bridge won at Downpatrick under Mark Walsh.
By Tom Weekes
