Smullen and Weld strike again with Zafayan

Zafayan continued a great week at Listowel for Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen when claiming the featured Guinness Handicap on day six at the Kerry festival.

Smullen, fresh from riding a treble for his boss on Thursday, made all the running on the 7/2 shot in the €55,000 event over a mile-and-a-half.

He asked the five-year-old to quicken early in the straight and the smart dual purpose performer stuck on well in the closing stages to hold the charge of Total Demolition by a length-and-a-quarter.

It was a third win on the level for the Acclamation gelding who had also scored over timber at Killarney last summer.

Smullen and Weld were both recording their sixth winners of the week with the pair combining for victory with five of those.

"He did it well. I learned early in the day there was a bad patch as we straightened up so I was anxious to get out off it. When the ground is gone here, you have to pick the best of it,” said Smullen.

"He's not a bad horse and it was a good pot to win.

"The horses are running exceptionally well and these horses he has brought down have all handled the ground and are in tremendous form.”

(Quotes by Thomas Weekes)