Namazee rewards support in apprentice handicap

Namazee justified good support to open his account in the Bar One Racing Double The Odds Goalscorer Special Apprentice Handicap at Dundalk.

The Andy Slattery-trained gelding was as big as 16/1 this morning but was sent off at half those odds in this mile event and did the business in decisive fashion under the trainer’s nephew Ben Coen.

The three-year-old son of Gio Ponti challenged early in the straight, and stretched clear inside the final furlong to beat Little Camacho by three lengths. Curly Girl was a further length and three quarters away in third.

Slattery’s brother and assistant Brian said, “The first time blinkers did the trick with him. He works well at home and it wasn’t unexpected.

“We have him entered in Chepstow next Thursday, and we’ll see what the handicapper does before deciding what to do.

“He didn’t handle the course in Galway the last day and got a bit unbalanced coming down the hill. Being American bred he was a lot more at home here on the all-weather on a sound surface.”