Athens sheds his maiden tag

Athens made his experience count when justifying 4/7 favouritism in the two-year-old maiden over one mile at Listowel.

Joseph O’Brien guided the well-entered son of Dylan Thomas to the front at the home turn past Amiens Street and didn’t have to get serious with the colt in recording a snug length-and-a-half success.

The winner had previously finished fourth in York and second to the impressive Akeed Mofeed at Leopardstown.

The jockey, who put up three pounds overweight at 9-3, said: “I was hoping something would come to him as he wasn’t doing a stroke in front.

“He wouldn’t like that ground but he did it well.”

Jim Bolger’s Amhrasach belied her odds of 16/1 to come home second while Fatcatinthehat who was well backed off course, kept on for third at 11/4 despite being off the bridle a long way out.

Michael Graham