Tim Toe 'has a bit of class' and strikes on Flat debut On what was his first start under Flat rules, Henry de Bromhead's Tim Toe led home 14 rivals in the concluding David McKeown A1 Generators Maiden. Successful on debut in a Thurles bumper when in the care of Pat Doyle and subsequently purchased by Robcour, the Joshua Tree five-year-old was second and fifth on his first two tries over flights. Drifting from 5s to 15/2 this evening and settled in mid-division by Ronan Whelan, the bay victor made good headway from the three-furlong pole. Improving into a narrow lead with a furlong to go, he needed to be ridden out in the closing stages, fending off the persistent effort of Joe Cool (5/2f) by half-a-length. There was a two-and-a-half length gap back to Good Deal (20/1) in third, with the Paddy Twomey pair of Lady Mairen (3/1) and Forthill (5/1) both failing to make an impact, finishing sixth and tenth respectively. Backed from 80s, Beechingstoke was as short as 9/2 when she was withdrawn at the start by order of the stewards. "In his bumper that he won, he actually had a gear. Funnily enough, my girlfriend's brother (David Doyle) rode him in the bumper. I spoke to him and he told me he has a gear," Whelan reflected. "It felt like we didn't go hard there and he probably landed there a bit soon. He idled in front, but he has got a nice turn of foot, and he feels like a horse with a bit of class. "To travel the way he did and be able to quicken in a maiden like that, that can only bode well for when he goes further. "It was kind of a fact-finding mission today - Henry just said to find my feet and see how we get on, and we will know more after today. "Big time (a horse with a future on the Flat) - he's a horse that is going to want further and to show the gears that he had there, he probably has a bit of class." Additional reporting by Michael Graham
