Another Flat winner for Blackmore ahead of Irish Derby spin

There was a line of horses in with a chance at the furlong pole in division 1 of the Meath Handicap before last week’s course winner Oromo (3/1 fav) found extra to win under Rachael Blackmore.

Up 3lbs in the ratings to a mark of 48 following that breakthrough success over a furlong shorter, the 7-y-o High Chaparral gelding kept on to defeat the staying-on Ilikehim by a length and a quarter.

Trainer Karl Thornton, who was also amongst the winners at Limerick last week with Shanroe, said: “As Rachael said he's probably the best horse in the race.

“He seemed to come on from the last day and I'd probably have been disappointed if he got beat, I know that's probably his grade.

“He's a grand fun horse. I'd say he'll go back over hurdles now but there might be another one in him on the Flat.

“He seems to be enjoying it at the moment. Rachael gets the best out of him, he seems to go for her so we won't change anything.”

Winning rider Rachael BIackmore, looking forward to her mount in Saturday's Irish Derby on King Of The Throne, added : "I was conscious not to get stopped in behind anything. If you knock his stride at all it’s hard to get him rolling again, so I came wide on him. He's a lovely horse."

Additional reporting by Gary Carson