Scriptwriter wins 'French-style' maiden

Scriptwriter quickened smartly to win Gowran's run-of-the-mill Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden today, completing a double for trainer Aidan O'Brien and impressing winning jockey Seamie Heffernan.

Scriptwriter, by Churchill, chased the leaders in fifth in the mile race and while Heffernan was hard at work, in fifth, entering the home straight, the pair flew home, powering past Adonis late-on to score by three parts of a length.

Heffernan's race-riding views are entertaining and enlightening in equal measure, and afterwards revealed “Irish racing is gone so much like French racing. If you don’t sit in the first four you need an explosive turn of foot. He won well at the line.

“We went a nice gallop and the best horse won. A mile is probably his minimum at the moment.

“Our two-year-olds are taking a bit of time this year but hopefully they are getting rolling now and they are winning.”

Scriptwriter, backed from 9/4 to 11/8f, was the second leg of a double for O'Brien, having won the opener with the Wayne Lordan partnered History

Quotes from Alan Magee