Jagged shines on first start for Thorne Jack Kearney could afford to ease up on Jagged Edge close home as the Blue Point gelding ran out a cosy winner on his first start for trainer Stephen Thorne at Naas this afternoon. The four-year-old cost owners Shamrock Thoroughbreds £125,000 at the sales last October and started to repay that investment in the ALTO Equine Building Solutions Handicap. He arrived to lead a furlong from home in the mile contest and soon asserted before coasting to a three-and-three-quarter length win late on over stablemate Far From Dandy, in the same colours. "We were ready to rock and roll for the Irish Lincoln but unfortunately he scoped poorly the week of the race, so we just had to sit and wait,” said Thorne afterwards. “It's obviously been a very difficult winter to get these horses right for the spring but every trainer is in the same boat. I just had to take my time with this horse.  "He had been showing all the right signals at home and, we felt he was just ready to start. We had to back off him and, we had to load him with antibiotics there for a month so, he was just ready to start. Hopefully now the horse has a bright summer in front of him.  "We'll have to see what the handicapper does to him but we might make a Royal Hunt Cup entry tomorrow. Hopefully he'll develop into a stakes horse later in the season.” On runner-up Far From Dandy he added:- "He always wears his heart on his sleeve and, was a good second in the Spring Mile. “There is a big pot on Derby weekend and, the Galway Mile. They are both two improving handicappers." (Quotes by John O’Riordan)
