Pat Smullen can afford to take a look around as Famous Name is well clear approaching the line © Photo Healy Racing
Famous Name recorded his third successive win in the Group 3 Jockey Club Of Turkey Meld Stakes for his trainer Dermot Weld with Pat Smullen aboard.
The 7yo entire son of Dansili was sent off the 3/10 favourite for this evening’s contest and he was pushed out to lead over a furlong from home and went clear inside the final furlong to record an easy five and a half-length success.
The Fran Berry ridden Ballybacka Lady ran well to take second at 33/1 on her first start for Jessica Harrington while Native Khan was three parts of a length back in third at 4/1 for John Oxx and Johnny Murtagh.
The winner was recording his twelfth success at Leopardstown from sixteen starts at the Foxrock venue.
He was also recording his eighteenth career victory and his eleventh in Group 3 company.
Winning trainer Dermot Weld said afterwards: "What can I say, he does it all.
"That is his eighteenth win and seventeen of those have come at either Listed or Group level. He must be getting close to a record total of Stakes race wins.
"We toyed with the idea of going to Germany on Sunday but it would have took four days to get there and the temperature is 30 degrees.
"There is a lot of thunderstorms forecast for there on Sunday as well.
"The Royal Whip at the Curragh is the logical follow on from here and this is his ground tonight.
"He is also entered in the Irish Champion Stakes here. He loves it at Leopardstown and that is his twelfth win here."
(On-course reporting by Alan Magee)
