Royal Ascot plan for Dundalk winner

Trainer Barry Fitzgerald has ambitious plans for ex-bumper performer A Piece Of Heaven which won Dundalk's Bar One Racing 'Price Boosts' Handicap today in the manner of a horse going places.

Placed fourth behind A Dream To Share in April's Grade 1 Punchestown Champion Bumper, the Jukebox Jury gelding was heavily backed (morning 9/4, returned 1/1f) today, rated 85, readily defied top weight when making all under jockey Luke McAteer.

Carlow-based Fitzgerald, a brother of prominent point-to-point handler and pre-trainer Aidan Fitzgerald, revealed “he's a good horse and the plan now is to give him a break and bring him back at the start of the Flat next year.

“Hopefully he can progress to Royal Ascot. He won well enough today to pick any of those handicaps in Royal Ascot - that's what you are hoping for and he will stay all day.”

He added “there are lots of lads telling me to go jumping now but he is still progressing on the Flat so why not use that and wait until he is older to go jumping. They are all mad for me to jump him but I won't go jumping yet.

“Our horses are all for sale if someone comes in and are usually sold by now!”

Quotes from Michael Graham