Battle leads Oxx string home in opener John Oxx saddled a quartet of runners in the opening maiden at the Curragh this afternoon and filled three of the first four places. Neil Jones' Call To Battle led them home when proving a convincing winner under Ben Curtis. The King's Best colt had been prominent throughout and led approaching halfway. The 9/2 shot stayed on strongly from over a furlong out to post a two-and-a-half length margin over the Dermot Weld-trained Golden Hill. Zalantoun stayed on nicely in third while another Oxx trained Aga Khan colt, Takar finish fourth. "He was supposed to win at Navan on Wednesday. I had himself and Zalantoun in hoping they would be in seperate divisions but they ended up as reserves," revealed Oxx. "But they got in today and were first and third. The winner ran well at Gowran first time and improved from that. "He's quite a nice horse and we might look at the Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown (November 6th) for him. "That's 1m1f and he looks like he stays quite well. He should improve again hopefully." Gary Carson
