Airlie Beach and Pat Smullen© Photo Healy Racing
It's all square again in the race to be champion jockey as Pat Smullen doubled his Galway score on Airlie Beach in the Listed Ardilaun Hotel Oyster Stakes.
Smullen was successful in the opener for his boss Dermot Weld aboard Hazapour at 2.25. Keane had hit back in the 4.05 on Coeur D'Amour.
Here County Offaly's finest was aboard Grade 1 winning hurdler and in-foal mare Airlie Beach for Willie Mullins.
What enjoyment she has provided for owners the Supreme Horse Racing Club and she built on a Tramore maiden win from 33 days back in his mile and a half centrepiece.
At the line the margins between Airlie Beach and second and third home, Remarkable Lady and Red Stars were a length and a half and three lengths.
On being back level with Colin Keane, Smullen said afterwards: "It's going to be like that for a long way yet and there are a lot of people panicking bar me."
As regards Airlie Beach he reflected: "It's nothing short of a pleasure to ride such a good mare and for her to go out like that is a fairytale for all the connections. She is a typical one of Willie Mullins' and wants to go further than that trip and needed all of the hill.
"Every step she took up the hill she was devouring it and her stamina won out. She is a real quality mare and it's great she has gone out on a high."
The Stewards enquired into the reason for the request for a change of rider from P.B. Beggy to W.M. Lordan on High Language trained by Jospeh Patrick O'Brien. Kieran Murphy, Authorised representative for Joseph Patrick O'Brien, stated that W.M. Lordan became available when he was replaced by J.A. Heffernan on Pavlenko (JPN) trained by A.P. O'Brien. He added that W.M. Lordan was familiar with High Language having ridden her previously but accepted that P.B. Beggy was a suitable rider if this situation had not arisen.
Having considered all the evidence, the Stewards informed Joseph Patrick O'Brien, through his representative, that the request was refused but every opportunity would be given for P.B. Beggy to present himself at scales in accordance with the provisions of Rule 196 (i).
Subsequently, at 4.20 p.m. the Stewards were informed by the Clerk of the Scales that P.B. Beggy had failed to present himself to be weighed out by the appointed time.
Consequently the Stewards ordered the withdrawal of High Language, fined P.B. Beggy €200 for being in breach of Rule 196 (v) by failing to present himself to be weighed out within the time fixed under sub paragraph (i) of Rule 196 and for failing to provide a satisfactory explanation to the Stewards.
The Turf Club Veterinary Officer examined Pearl Of The West trained by P.A.Fahy, at the request of the Stewards and reported the animal to be post race normal.
(TW & EM)
