By Irishexaminer.com,Tommy Lyons

Copyright irishexaminer

Trained by and carrying the famous white silks with the maroon panel of John Nallen, and ridden by veteran jockey Seamie Heffernan, he was in the van throughout, accompanied much of the way by Norwalk Havoc.

In keeping with the theme of the day, nothing really threatened to get involved from off the pace, and the wily seven-year-old dug in deep to forge a length and a quarter clear close home.

Said Heffernan: “I’ve been riding for John a bit this season and it’s great to have his support. This horse had some very good runs, and he actually ran a blinder here yesterday but just didn’t get home on the ground.

“I spoke to Billy (Lee) and he said he’s very genuine, very honest, and he pitched up again today and ran his guts out.”

Another wily old campaigner, Dragon Of Malta, ended a two-year absence from the winner’s enclosure when scoring here on Monday and it took just 24 hours to supplement that success.

Well handled by Pat O’Donnell and Peter Keogh and clearly none the worse for those exertions, the eight-year-old raced prominently from the outset and stretched clear from the home turn to win by a wide margin.

Winning rider Julian Pietropaolo commented: “It’s a great training performance from Peter and the team. He said he rode him out this morning and he was in good form, and he showed that today.

“He broke well, I had him up in second place, and he travelled like a dream going around there and had the race put to bed with two furlongs to go. Getting his head in front yesterday was a big confidence booster for the horse, and it showed today.”

The father-and-daughter team of Robbie and Nicola Burns enjoyed success in the second race, the Rose Hotel Handicap, thanks to The Blue Panther.

The young rider, who continues to impress, was very positive aboard the 10-1 chance, and she had the race won long before her mount hit the line more than three lengths clear of market leader Nibras Rainbow.

“He winged the gates, and we went forward and he won well,” said the winning rider. “He’s a great auld horse. He takes them all off the bridle and stays going. And it was great to get it for dad – it’ll be an easy drive home now.”

Championship leader Dylan Browne McMonagle brought his season’s tally to 79 with victory aboard Limestone in the MAC Hardware & Farm Supplies Irish EBF Rated Race. Another to be on the pace from the outset, he idled in front but was always doing enough to deny Redemption Road, who ran a huge race to shorten the verdict to half a length.

“I was able to get a nice steady run around,” said Browne McMonagle of the Joseph O’Brien-trained winner. “He’s a horse that is probably going to be better in a better race, where he can get a bit of cover.

“When they dropped away a furlong and a half out and I had to send him on about his business, he never stretched to what he can do. I think he was just waiting a little bit. He’s still plenty raw, it was his first time in front, so he’s a horse who is going to take a good step forward from today. It will crown him.”

Sunriseontheboyne is a hardy campaigner and the three-year-old, trained by Michael Mulvany and ridden by Wesley Joyce, put a sixth win on his card, from 28 runs, by making all and pulling a long way clear in the Listowel Arms Hotel Handicap.

Aidan O’Brien saddled the first two home in the WTW Willis Irish EBF Maiden, and it was newcomer Straight Up, ridden by Wayne Lordan, who came out on top, beating King Of Sparta.

Sporting the Flaxman silks, he collared his stablemate a furlong out and then pulled three clear to ensure the winning start to his career.

O’Brien and Lordan doubled up when Saratoga made virtually every yard of the running in the finale, the Jet, Peggy & Eamonn O’Carroll Memorial Handicap.

Taking advantage of what they perceived to be a decent initial mark, the grey broke his duck in good style and connections expect him to progress with age and experience.

“The handicapper gave him a mark of 80 and we thought he was very nicely treated off it,” said Chris Armstrong. “Going up in trip, the race presented itself at the right time. He’s a horse we’ve thought a bit of for a while.

“I’d say we’ll go for a nice handicap with him, and if we still have him next year, he could develop into a stakes horse. His pedigree is one which gets better with age, and it’s nice to get him off the mark.”