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Alphonsus a workmanlike winner at 1/20

Alphonsus Liguori Alphonsus Liguori
© Healy Racing Photos

Cork's median auction race over a mile obviously had the appearance of a non-event as Killarney maiden winner Alphonsus Liguori was sent off 1/20 to take care of four lesser opponents.

In the event, the Study Of Man colt was by no means, as American race-readers would put it, super impressive but got the job done by three lengths from Holy Lettuce having taken up the running over two furlongs out.

"He is the shortest-price horse I've ridden and he was straightforward," said Dylan Browne McMonagle, who rode the Joseph O'Brien-trained three-year-old for Rectory Road Holdings Limited. 

"Donagh (O'Connor, on Fate's Gambit wanted to go forward so I was happy to take a lead and he was a little bit lazy through the race. He was always responding for pressure though, and the more I got stuck into him he kept pulling it out

"When he gets into a better race with something to lead him, you'll see a much better horse. He is also still very unfurnished and I think there is a lot more to come from him."

  

Additional reporting by Tom Weekes

About Mark Nunan
Mark has followed racing since he was a teenager and worked for many years as a broadcaster with the Irish version of Racecall. He joined the Press Association in 2019 and is also a contributor to the Racing Post. A native of Kildare, he now lives in Sligo.