Mulvany and Carroll Prove The Point

Prove The Point landed an on-course gamble when keeping on best to score in Sligo's seven furlong handicap.

Michael Mulvany 's filly opened at 11/1 and was backed at all rates down to 13/2 on the off.

Garry Carroll settled her in mid-division in this 14-runner contest and she was eighth after negotiating the first three furlongs.

She began to make her forward march with two and a half furlongs to race. She swept round the outside into fourth as the race heated up with a quarter of a mile left.

Kieren Fallon and Fair Game grabbed the lead entering the home straight and set sail for home. However, Carroll was in the drive position on Prove The Point and she responded to move second with a furlong to go.

She soon came to pick off Fair Game and had seen that rival off inside the final 150 yards. True Companion (9/1) stayed on very strongly in the final furlong to try and chase the winner down but, despite closing on her, he was half a length adrift at the line. He was slowly away and raced in rear but found plenty at the business end.

Fair Game (8/1) held on for third albeit three and a half lengths behind the runner-up.

Gary Carroll said: "She was tried over a bit further. She does stay a mile and it helped today because we went a really good gallop and they all finished tired. The fact she stays a bit further helped her.

"in fairness she kept at it well. We were all out on our feet the last 100 yards but she was game. I'd say it's not ideal to be in front with her for too long but once you have them rolling on this ground you have to keep them going.

"I'd say a stiff seven would probably be ideal for her."

Michael Mulvany added: "She ran well at Leopardstown and just didn’t stay the last day. On her last two runs before that she was entitled to be where she is today. That was tough out there today and she's tired. She handles all kinds of surfaces.

"We would be hoping that she will keep going and improve into a nice filly. Today was the plan. She had a hard race there and it'll be interesting to see how she comes out of it.

"We have 11 riding out at the moment. They are all youngish horses. We train a lot of our own horses. We would be hoping that we could get a few from some of the bigger clients. It might bring us a bit further."

Additional reporting by Alan Magee