Mount Meru excels in 1st time blinkers

Antiquus (11/2 in the morning into 2/1) was a major market-mover for the L. K. Bennett Nursery Handicap at Down Royal and she may have been unlucky not to land the gamble but ultimately it was the first-time blinkered Mount Meru that landed the spoils under Keagan Latham.

This son of first season stallion Red Clubs, was always on the pace, and he toughed it out best to see off Haseen by half a length. The aforementioned Antiquus was coming with her run from off the pace when blocked inside the final furlong and that ended her hopes.

Ger Lyons trains Mount Meru for his principal owner, Sean Jones and he said: "Keagan is a top-class jockey. If you take out his last run (on soft ground at Roscommon) he'd nearly have been favourite tonight.

"He needed the blinkers to make a man of him and he'll be going to Dundalk next."

There was no alteration after a stewards enquiry here.