Confidence in Smoker justified

Newcomer Smoker was lively in the market for the Rainbow Communications European Breeders Fund Median Auction Maiden and those that were backing the Motivator colt in the morning were spot on as he prevailed under Colm O'Donoghue.

In the familiar Rick Barnes colours, O'Donoghue got to the front on the juvenile over a furlong out and he stayed on well to beat Eusepio by four and a quarter lengths. Well-backed front-running favourite Desiderata (5/2 into 7/4) couldn't raise his game when it mattered most and he dropped back to fourth.

Patrick Prendergast trains Smoker and he said: "I'm very pleased with him and he qualified for the ten grand bonus there.

"I thought he would win but I was afraid that he might just be a bit stupid.

"He could go for a winners race in Leopardstown early next month. He'll go on to better things – he's smart but still very babyish and stupid.

"He'll get a mile and further next year. Mr Barnes is a big supporter of the yard. I've had five two-year-old runners for him this year and won with four of them." (MG & EM)