Major success for Carmody
Saturday 25 August 2012
Ursa Major continued his rapid rise through the ranks as he held off favourite Hartani in the Gain Horse Feeds Irish St Leger Trial Stakes at the Curragh.
The Tommy Carmody-trained winner has claimed two competitive handicaps at the track already this season but he made the leap to Group Three level in style.
John Oxx's Hartani was sent off the 5-6 favourite and it was his stablemate Aklan who set the pace, with Pat Smullen producing the market leader with what looked to be a winning challenge. But Fergal Lynch arrived full of running on Ursa Major (4-1), who found plenty to win by a length and three-quarters.
Carmody trains out of Johnny Murtagh's yard and the jockey's wife Orla was on hand to witness the victory.
She said: "We are delighted with him and the ground suited him.
"We will speak to Andrew (owner Andrew Tinkler) now to see what way he will go as he is entered in the two Legers. He is our little star!"
Ursa Major's victory provided some compensation for Tinkler and Carmody as their Royal Diamond just lost out in the Betfred Ebor at York.
Three Sea Captains completed a double for trainer David Wachman and jockey Wayne Lordan, successful with Awakened Spirit in the nursery, with a neck verdict over the front-running Boston Rocker in the Listed Manguard Plus Curragh Stakes.
Wachman said: "He deserved that and he has always shown us he is a stakes horse. Wayne said he didn't have to hit him a smack. They went a good gallop and he won snug.
"He is entered in all the good races, the Mill Reef and the Middle Park. He will get seven furlongs and is pretty adaptable. He is a grand, tough, honest, sound horse and he has plenty of ability."
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