Bondi Beach, number 3, comes to collar Bantry Bay© Photo Healy Racing
Bondi Beach got up in the shadow of the post to nail stablemate and odds on favourite Bantry Bay in the mile and a half maiden at Leopardstown.
Unraced Bantry Bay, from Aidan O'Brien's stable, was all the rage with punters being backed from 9/4 to 6/4 this morning and from evens to 10/11 at the track.
He broke well and Joseph O'Brien put him into the lead. At the four pole he was still lobbing away while Master Manipulator was pushed along in second. At this stage Seamie Heffernan raced in fifth on fellow newcomer Bondi Beach on the inner.
Bondi Beach then improved into second over two furlongs out as Joseph O'Brien asked Bantry Bay to go and win the race. He was three lengths clear with a furlong and a half to go, however, Bondi Beach made stealthy headway under hands and heels to cut into the lead in the final furlong. He dropped his head in front on the line to the joy of those who took the 7/1. Barnacle Bill was placed in third at 12/1 on his debut.
Seamie Heffernan said: "They are two nice horses. One is a front-runner and one can't get to the front. I got to the front when I wanted to."
This gave Aidan O'Brien and Heffernan a double on the day as they teamed up with Kissed By Angels in the 1,000 Guineas trial.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
