Ballylinch dominate early Dundalk action

Swift Verdict (4/1 into 11/4 2nd favourite) gave Kilkenny farm Ballylinch Stud an opening races double at Dundalk this afternoon in split two of the Irishinjuredjockeys.com Maiden.

Ballylinch have Illusory victorious in the first event, solely in their own ownership, whilst the Willie Mullins-trained Swift Verdict is shared with China Horse Club International Ltd.

In the hands of Colin Keane the 1.4 million Euro yearling, and former John Gosden inmate, proved much too strong for odds-on market-leader Dances With Stars from over a furlong out.

Five lengths eventually separated them with three parts of a length to Arioch in third.

Swift Verdict was winning at the third time of asking for Mullins.

“To be fair he probably had a better run than it looked at Gowran on his first run for Willie. I thought on ground and trip he probably didn’t get home that day. It was plenty deep, he travelled around but just didn’t get home," said Keane on the son of Dubawi, out of Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Just The Judge.

“He looked a bit sluggish here the last day and the blinkers probably woke him up a bit. He’s a big horse and he could be a lovely dual purpose horse throughout the summer the way he handles the all-weather track.”

The Stewards informed D. Donovan, trainer, that Wild And Willing would have to be recertified before being declared to run from stalls again.

At the request of the Stewards, J.M. Sheridan, rider of Duck And Vanish (GB), trained by Denis Gerard Hogan, reported to the Stewards' Secretaries that his mount did not move very well and made an abnormal respiratory noise down the back. He added that he was not hard on his mount in the straight as he felt something was amiss but he was unaware that his mount had burst a blood vessel until after the race.

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board Veterinary Officer examined Duck And Vanish (GB), trained by Denis Gerard Hogan, at the request of the Stewards and reported the animal to have blood at the nostrils post race.

(AM & EM)