Cave Artist (right) holds off the challenge of Balladiene (left) and Angel Bright (pink sleeves)© Photo Healy Racing
Cave Artist provide his trainer Harry Rogers (earlier won with Allegra Tak & his jockey Shane Foley (took the feature aboard Mizani with doubles at Navan this afternoon as he just held off the challenge of Balladiene to win the Racing Again June 15th Handicap over a mile.
The 5yo gelded son of Chineur was fitted with a tongue tie for the first time today and that seems to have made a difference as he was recording his first win on his seventeenth career start.
Before today his best efforts came at Limerick in April of 2011 where he finished second to Maal in a handicap over a mile and at Dundalk in January where he was again second behind Sisha Threesixty in a handicap over a mile and two.
Since that effort at Dundalk he has had four more runs, disappointing on each occasion.
With a furlong left to race Angel Bright (5/1) looked the most likely winner under Pat Smullen for Dermot Weld however she couldn’t hold off the challenge of the winner who himself then just held on from the late surge of Balladiene (4/1) under Ronan Whelan.
The winning distance was just a short head while there was a further gap of a head back to Angel Bright in third.
Winning trainer Harry Rogers said afterwards: "Shane was very good on him. He was strong on him as he is a lazy horse.
"The track and ground suited him. He has been a disappointing horse for a year now. He is hard to keep right and has had lots of niggly problems. He might run in Roscommon now on Monday or Tuesday night (entered on both nights)."
Donal Murphy & Michael Graham
