Birch battles to record Ballysax surprise

The John Murphy-trained White Birch just prevailed in a driving finish to spring a 22/1 shock in the PW McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown this afternoon. Serious Challenge made a bold bid from the front in the Group 3 contest over ten furlongs and kicked five lengths clear passing the three pole.

4/5 favourite Alexandroupolis was asked to close early in the straight but drifted right a furlong-and-a-half from home.

The hotpot didn't do any favours to Up And Under and White Birch on his outer but it was that pair who came through to battle it out inside the final furlong.

Up And Under had a narrow lead in the closing stages but White Birch rallied gamely, for Shane Foley, to grab victory in the dying strides and score by half-a-length.

The winner had been an easy winner of a Dundalk maiden when last seen in November and had since been bought by Chantal Regalado-Gonzalez.

👀 Surprise in the €50,000 G3 Ballysax Stakes

Hot favourite Alexandroupolis only third as White Birch toughs it out to cause a 22/1 shock for Shane Foley &; John Murphy @LeopardstownRC pic.twitter.com/XGqrymTx40

— Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 2, 2023

George Murphy, son and assistant trainer said:- “Absolutely delighted with that. He relaxed lovely early on and quickened up really well.

“He got a good bump about a furlong down but he’s a very honest horse and stayed lengthening the whole way to the line.

“We are delighted with that and he could be very good. He’s done what we always thought he could do.

“We’ll have a chat now with the owners and make a decision on where we are going to go. We said we would learn a lot today going up to a mile and a quarter on this ground and it seemed no issue to him.

“He’s hasn’t any classic entries but he could get some yet! We’ll see how he comes out of this and make a plan from there.

“He had a lovely run first time out in Naas on heavy ground so we thought he’d get through it today alright.

“He floated around Dundalk over seven and showed a lot of speed so he could be very versatile ground wise and clearly going a mile and quarter was no issue either.

“He could be a very exciting horse.”

Shane Foley added:- "It wasn't necessarily a surprise. I've ridden him in his work over the last couple of weeks and I've really liked him. He's a gorgeous horse.

“George was worried about coming here and going that trip, but I think you could go a mile and a half with him. It was a proper race, they went a proper gallop and it never let up. He's a nice horse.

"I knew down around the bottom bend that I was getting to them and he actually picked up better than I expected and I ended up getting there a little bit too soon. He really is a nice horse.

"I actually fancied him coming here and then he was the outsider of the whole field. On his homework, he was working like a very nice horse. I was riding him to run well and it all worked out."

It was a double on the card for Foley who had also landed the opening maiden on Curvature

(Quotes by Alan Magee)