Duke and the Bolgers have a smart one

Warm The Voice justified 2/1 favouritism with a good performance in the Guinness 17:59 Irish EBF Median Auction Maiden at Galway.

From before the straight Kevin Manning sent Jim and Jackie Bolger's Leopardstown third placer from eight days back, about his business.

Handled for the Bolgers by Brendan Duke, the Vocalised colt stuck on well to beat Shifted Strategy by two and three parts of a length.

"First of all he's special — that's the first thing. He's an absolutely proper horse," said Duke.

"Ground would have been a real problem for him but he's just very good.

"I kept him under wraps. I actually only told Jim about him the week before Leopardstown. I had mentioned it to Jackie that I loved him but it didn't go any further.

"We saw nothing in Leopardstown to upset us — I said before that that he'd run a huge race and that he'd win here.

"That's happened now. He has no big entries and I'll have to talk to Jackie and Jim.

"I'd be inclined to go steady away until next year but he is a Stakes horse.

"That's the third winner I've trained out of the mare but he's by a very long way the best I've trained out of her.

"One of his big assets is that he has a fantastic mind. Nothing worries him — he's just a very smart horse and I'm very lucky to have him."

The Stewards fined Jarlath P.Fahey, trainer, €350 for lodging a passport in respect of Howya Harry in which the vaccinations did not conform with the provisions of Rule 91.

The Stewards allowed the horse to run on receipt of the trainer's written assurance that the vaccinations were in order.

(TW & EM)