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Cleary doubles up for Ballydoyle on Antigua

Antigua Antigua
© Healy Racing Photos

After winning the opener on Florida Bay 5lb claimer Jack Cleary completed a Caribbean-themed double at Fairyhouse when Antigua (11/4 ) made all in the three-year-old maiden over a mile and a-quarter.

Fitted with a new combination of aids, namely blinkers and a tongue-tie, the 84-rated Camelot colt was dropping back in trip having finished fourth over 1m4f at Leopardstown and kept on well in the straight to win by three and a-quarter lengths from market leader Noble Honour

Owned by the Coolmore partners, the winners carries the green colours of Peter Brant which will be seen tomorrow on Derby favourite Benvenuto Cellini.

As well as Cleary, Antigua was completing a double for trainer Aidan O'Brien whose representative Chris Armstrong reported "In fairness, he has run well in a couple of maidens before today.

“Jack gave him a peach of a ride. He let him at it from the word go and set a solid, even, tempo.

“He got them at it, really, from halfway. When the second horse came to him, he picked up and went again.

“This is probably his trip, but he’s in the Ulster Derby in a couple of weeks time and it might be worth a crack at that.

“We’ll see what way the race in Down Royal cuts up, and he might be worth a go at it. If not we’ll find a mile-and-a-quarter handicap for him.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson

1st
11/4
Tote €3.75 €1.30
2nd
3.25L
85/40Fav
€1.10
3rd
5.5L
125/1
€25.00
4th
0.5L
5/2
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.