Gambled Sunday Sovereign (16s to 15/2) led home a familiar Claimer '1-2' for James McAuley today, making all to easily beat stablemate Bringsty (13/8f) in an odd betting heat for Bellewstown's opening Meath Farm Machinery Claimer.

At the 4.10pm start-time most horses were in stalls and time was seemingly 'up', with Sunday Sovereign still 12/1 and Bringsty 2/1.

However the race was delayed 13 minutes as 80/1 outsider Ben Milis broke out of his stall and ran loose and while many horses drifted, the stablemates attracted later-than-late market support and returned 15/2 and 13/8 respectively.

Both horses broke well with Sunday Sovereign making all with a clear lead throughout, beating Bringsty, who gave vain chase under a strong ride, by four-and-a-quarter lengths.

Owner/trainer McAuley's brother Stephen reported “we said we would step Sunday Sovereign up in trip as Nathan (Crosse) rode him the last day over five in Navan and said to do so. We tried him in a claimer to see how he gets on - he was always going to give Bringsty a good lead because he wants a bit further.

"We said we would let him off in front and if he stays there, he stays there. If he doesn't, sure he will do a good pacemaker job. Billy (Lee, winning jockey) said he used to be like that as a two-year-old, so we let him run away.”

"He might not be our problem after today! We'll see, he was impressive there so someone might take a chance on him. He owes us nothing now, he wasn't overly expensive.

"He can go back into a handicap now and, if he doesn't do well in it, he'd go back into a claimer if it suits him."

Sunday Sovereign was the subject of a friendly claim by James McAuley who also claimed 10th-placed Harbanaker for E5,000.

Quotes from Michael Graham