Racing review: Smart Mohaayed back in business at Gowran
Tuesday 20 October 2015 17:51, UK
A review of the pick of the action from Gowran on Tuesday as Mohaayed enjoyed a confidence-boosting success.
Mohaayed enjoyed a confidence-boosting success in the Join The Gowran Park Racing Club Today Race for Kevin Prendergast and Chris Hayes.
A winner at Navan at the end of his juvenile season, the Intikhab colt kept good company in the early part of his three-year-old campaign, notably beaten less than five lengths by Gleneagles when sixth in the Irish 2,000 Guineas.
Fourth in a Listed race at the Listowel Festival on his return from a break, Mohaayed had less on his plate in this four-runner contest and the 6/4 favourite was always doing enough to repel Mandamus by three-quarters of a length.
Prendergast said: "He made hard enough work of it, but the second is a handy enough horse.
"There wasn't much between them in the Guineas trial earlier in the year and there was the same ground between them there.
"We'll probably look at a race like the Gladness early in the spring with an ease in the ground. We'll see where he goes from there.
"Hopefully he'll progress over the winter."
Mandarin Monarch made a successful debut for Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden, narrowly outpointing hot favourite Zulu Alpha by a short head.
Stable representative Ger Flynn said: "Kevin said he was very green in the end and was galloping up in the air a bit. He'll come on a lot for the run.
"He handled the ground and the track - he's a nice horse. He's still very big, a tall weak horse."
Father-son combination Aidan and Donnacha O'Brien landed the Gowran Park Racing Club Nursery Handicap with Jaqen H'ghar (10/3).
Joseph O'Brien said: "It took a couple of runs for him to get things together.
"He won nicely today and was probably entitled to win on his last run. Hopefully he'll progress and he could go to Dundalk.
"I think he'll be a bit better than a handicapper, but it might just take time."
The Ballydoyle team completed a double in the concluding Racing Again November 21st Maiden as Joseph steered 8/11 favourite Crocodile Rock to a ready success.
