Goal Exceeded makes winning start for Ado McGuinness Goal Exceeded made a winning start to life with trainer Ado McGuinness when staying on strongly to take the QuinnBet Handicap at the Curragh. Successful in a Naas juvenile maiden for former connections, the son of Iffraaj had run well on a number of occasions subsequently, despite often flattering to deceive. Off the track since October, the four-year-old proved that he goes well fresh when recording what was just the second success of his career. Prominent on the far side over two-furlongs out, jockey Adam Caffrey elected to switch his mount to the centre to chase leader Genesis. Bagging the stands rail at the furlong pole, Caffrey soon led on the 12/1 chance, holding the late runs of Pinar Del Rio and the rallying Genesis. “I was very happy with him. His work at home was very good,” said McGuinness. “He was working with Apache Outlaw, he finishing well in front of him and he ran a cracker yesterday in the big sprint. “I didn’t want to put the two of them together so that’s why I came here with him. “I think he’ll turn into a nice premier handicap horse in time. He’s quite talented and he likes this surface. “We’re probably looking at the likes of Derby weekend and maybe Galway. Galway might be our main target with a horse like him as they go good and fast and he’ll like it. “He’s an easy enough horse to train and he just suits our system. “There are a good bunch of lads from the north involved. Martin White, Breen White and Declan Sheridan from Cavan, they’ll be happy men today. “He had some very good form and I just felt he was a horse that would improve with a bit of time, and I think he has. “We gave him the whole winter off and it’s worked out well. “Sometimes horses like time just need a little bit of time to get into the system. I don’t think we put a saddle on him for three-and-a-half months, just let him in and out and enjoy life.” Additional reporting by Gary Carson.
