Beamish gets up under Declan McDonogh © Photo Healy Racing
A fantastic renewal of the Listed Lenebane Stakes went the way of Beamish after a scrap with front-runner Yaxeni
Colin Keane came in for the ride on Yaxeni after his intended mount, Licence, was ruled out due to the testing ground.
His mount certainly made this 1m4f a test for the field and she swung into the straight and began to crank up the pressure. Jason The Militant was ridden at the two pole to try and get after her but it was Beamish in the centre of the track who looked the danger racing to the business end.
Yaxeni was ridden and kept going for Keane towards the far sidle but Beamish really found his stride deep in the final furlong to collar her close home.
The 10/3 shot beat the 3/1 joint favourite by half a length. He gave jockey Declan McDonogh a double as he was also on board Joseph O'Brien's Herring Island in race four. Jason The Militant, the other 3/1 joint favourite, dropped five lengths back in third.
This continued trainer Paddy Twomey's electric form and he said: "He's a lovely horse and he's never put a foot wrong. I thought today it could go wrong during the race but he has class and ability and pulled it out there up the straight.
“He showed what he shows at home. He won his maiden on good to firm ground at Leopardstown last year and handled that ground in Killarney. I'd say he's very versatile.
“We'll take the next step with him now, wherever that is. John is a very sporting man, he's had horses with me since I started training and he bought him off me since his last run. I'm delighted for him.”
Beamish is now three from three having stepped up in class from victories at Leopardstown and Killarney.
On La Petite Coco, who won the Group 1 Pretty Polly at the Curragh on Sunday, Twomey added: “She came home and licked the pot, she's in great form.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
