Michael Graham
King doubles up on General Idea in claimer
General Idea stretches away
© Photo Healy Racing
A drop into claiming company worked the oracle for General Idea (9/2) in Laytown.
The four-year-old gelding closed a quarter of a mile out and worked his way to the front approaching the final furlong.
He kept on well in the final furlong to open up by three and a-half lengths for Daniel King who partnered his second winner on the card having scored on Jered Maddox in the preceding race. Yester the 3/1 favourite, couldn't go with the winner once headed and had to settle for second. Red Cymbal was another half a length back in third at 14/1.
Trainer Adrian Joyce said: "He's a lovely horse and he worked really well the other morning and I would have been shocked if he didn't win the likes of this.
"He has been rated a lot higher, but at this level he is well able.
"His last two runs weren't too bad - the last day he was kind of taken out of it early in the race and he stayed on well and he was only beaten two and a-quarter lengths or that.
"We are probably going to lose him but, if not, he'll love Dundalk. There's a race there on the 22nd for him, I was kind of looking at that for him already. We'll put in a claim for him and see if we can get him back."
General Idea was claimed by Ian Patrick Donoghue, while Yester was the subject of a friendly claim by James McAuley. McAuley claimed third-placed Red Cymbal.