Newcomer Game lands some nice bets

Newcomer Play The Game landed some nice bets as he took the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Auction Maiden under Gary Carroll for John McConnell and the Rockview Racing Club.

Having opened at 14/1 on-course the son of Lawman was backed into 8/1 at the off.

Settled on the outer in fourth he was ridden to challenge under two furlongs out, getting to the front with less than 150 yards to race before keeping on well from there to score by a length and a quarter. Hollywood Road (12/1) ran well to finish second under Chris Hayes for Conor O'Dwyer while the 1/2 favourite Fisherman's Blues could only manage a disappointing third after attempting to make all.

McConnell said afterwards: "He's very green and has never been away to a racecourse so I'd say there is tonnes of improvement. He's got plenty of raw ability, and there are no easy Leopardstown maidens.

"That was the plan and I don't know where he'll go next but he'll probably stay a mile. It was good to see him go on that ground.

"The (Rockview) Racing Club is run by Mark Kavanagh, and there are a few owners from the yard involved."

Gary Carroll added: "He was working well at home. He was up the Vic (Old Vic gallop) there two weeks ago and worked very well.

"He is a nice horse and coming here we were expecting to improve from the run. He was green but he was still good enough to win and he will improve plenty for the run.

"He is a similar horse to Clonard Street but he might be a bit quicker. He will benefit from going a mile and he is a real nice horse."

The winner cost E18,000 as a yearling and he is a half-brother to Dark Ocean who has won three times in the UK for Jedd O'Keeffe.

Additional reporting by Alan Magee