Dance Jupiter gets a clear run and the job done

Stepping up to ten furlongs for the first time, the 2/1 favourite Dance Jupiter was a comfortable winner of the Naas Racecourse Handicap in the hands of 5lb claimer Dylan Browne McMonagale.

Held up in mid-division, he made smooth headway in the straight to lead over a furlong out. He kept on well to beat stablemates Mccabe (40/1) and Sheer Bravado (10/1) by two and a quarter lengths and one and three quarters of a length.

Expensively bought after beating the useful Patrick Sarsfield in a maiden last year, the Kingsbarns gelding had been placed on his three starts this year and hadn’t enjoyed the best of luck in running on more than one occasion.

Brendan Powell, assistant to winning trainer Joseph O’Brien, said: “He was unlucky first time out this year at Galway and last time out Shane said the ground was horrible at Limerick and he hated it all the way around.

“The better ground here and a step up in trip suited him and he galloped all the way to the line.

“He had a little look in front but he hasn’t had much racing and that’s only his fifth run. Hopefully he can go on from here and make up into a nice horse in another season.”

Additional reporting by Alan Magee