Whelan doubles up on Faraah

Expensive yearling Faraah (13/2) got off the mark in the Flat Finale Handicap.

Ronan Whelan produced the daughter of Awtaad to challenge a furlong out and she led in the final strides to beat long-time leader Manhattan Dandy by half a length with the winner’s stablemate Rosie Rocks the same distance further back in third.

It was a double for Whelan after his earlier victory on Unconquerable Keen in the nursery.

The winner, bought for 200,00 pounds at Tattersalls in Newmarket, had shown up well behind previous race winner Dandyville over course and distance in June and was placed at both Sligo and Roscommon last month.

The half-sister to seven winner was making the breakthrough on her twelfth start.

Winning trainer Ado McGuinness: “She's been consistent. I thought the ground was going to be a little bit quick for her.

“Ronny was kicking himself the last day he rode her and she'd been unlucky previous to that.

“He gave her a super ride, something to aim at and she just got there. I was delighted and Ronan has done that on a few occasions for me over the past few weeks.

“She was an expensive filly at the sales so at least there is a winning bracket now for breeding.

“It's job done but we'll kick on with her and try and find something similar. She's in again at Dundalk on Friday night.”

Quotes from Gary Carson