Wexford Opera puts on a Gowran show

Wexford Opera put in plenty of good late work as he landed the seven furlong www.gowranpark.ie Handicap.

Kevin Manning popped Jim Bolger's charge away in fifth and the pair travelled well in fourth with less than three furlongs to go.

Manning asked his mount for more inside the final quarter of a mile and the six-year-old gelding made headway to chase Strait Of Zanzibar and Mizaah

Wexford Opera was ridden over a furlong from home and took over from Strait Of Zanzibar racing into the final 150 yards. From there he kept on stoutly to deliver by a length at 9/1.

Strait Of Zanzibar got the runner-up prize money at 10/1 with Great Wide Open (7/1) a length back in third.

Travelling head lad Ger Flynn said: “He deserved that as he's been knocking on the door plenty of times.

“He's in the July Sales and we'll see now whether he goes or not. It's great to get the win with him.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson