Imaging draws Smullen level with Keane

Pat Smullen drew level with Colin Keane on 81 winners at the head of the jockeys title race with a smooth victory on Imaging at Limerick.

The Oasis Dream colt finished second on debut at Gowran Park but made no mistake today.

He powered away from 8/11 favourite Spanish Point in the final furlong of this seven-furlong maiden and drew further and further clear.

The 6/4 chance passed the post a good nine and a half lengths in front of Spanish Point who held on to second from Way Back Home

Dermot Weld said: "He is a very nice colt and I don't think I'll run him again and will have a word with Lord Grimthorpe but I'd say that's it for the year.

"I think the next time you'll see him is in a 2,000 Guineas Trial and he's a horse we like an awful lot and think he'll be a Group horse next year.

"He has progressed very well from his first run and Pat (Smullen) said he had stacks more left today.

"He's a good ground horse but I wanted to get a second run into him because I want to put him away for next year. He's potentially a high-class colt - he is bred to be it, looks it and is a lovely-mannered horse."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes