Soaring Sun scorers in Dundalk’s opener Well-bred Soaring Sun (9/4) gained a deserved first success today, landing Dundalk’s opening Irishinjuredjockeys.com Apprentice Maiden for trainer Pat Flynn and jockey Robyn Donaghue-Leahy. Out of a half-sister to Flynn’s one-time leading juvenile Designs On Rome and who later amassed £4,839,086 in prizemoney as Hong Kong’s 2014 Horse of the Year, Soaring Sun had finished placed on each of his three previous starts. Today, the five-year-old went in pursuit of leader Tyraxes with a furlong to race and edged ahead close home for a half-length success, with disappointing 1/2f Dancingondiamonds fading to finish fifth. Donaghue-Leahy said "he broke well and I was happy to let the lads go on as I wanted to get a lead. I was to the pin of my collar down the back straight, but I suppose he has a lot of fitness in hand compared to a few of the others. “I knew my lad was fit and he would stay well. I just hoped if I could just keep Tyraxes (runner-up) within reach, I'd grab him. He did it well, he's still very green and is probably going to improve again from it. "He enjoys the sound surface but if you rode him, you wouldn't think he would and I'd say he would be a nicer horse with a cut in the ground. “He's very well-bred and is out of a mare who was a half-sister to Designs On Rome. He deserved that and hopefully he will go forward from it." Quotes from Michael Graham
