Friendless Walter wins on debut

Ballydoyle newcomer Sir Walter Scott out stayed the Ger Lyons trained pair of Seeking Luck and Washboard Sam to win the www.sesif.org race over seven furlongs.

The 2yo son of Galileo was friendless in the betting and after opening at 11/4 with Paddy Powers this morning he opened at 4/1 on course before drifting out to 9/2 at the off.

Ridden by Colm O’Donoghue (Joseph O'Brien suspended for whip offence), the half-brother of 2008 Irish Derby winner Frozen Fire, raced in second behind Washboard Sam for much of the contest.

He was ridden over two furlongs out but responded well to pressure and stayed on best inside the final furlong to lead in the last fifty yards.

He was strongly pressed by the 11/10 favourite Seeking Luck under Gary Carroll, but held her off to score by a neck.

Winning rider Colm O'Donoghue said afterwards: "He did it well but he was a bit green early on.

"I was sitting in second on him and he wasn’t really learning much. He finished it off well and he’ll keep improving."

The winner holds entries in the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh, the Group 2 Royal Lodge Stakes at Newmarket and the Group 2 Beresford Stakes also at the Curragh.

All those races are later this month while he is also entered in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster in October and next year’s Epsom Derby.

(On-course reporting by Michael Graham)