Eloy D'amerval (Robbie Colgan) holds Johann Zoffani (Leigh Roche)© Photo Healy Racing
The Irish Thoroughbred Marketing website (www.itm.ie) is likely to see even more traffic in the aftermath of Eloy D'amerval rsquo;s win in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C & G) Maiden at Naas.
Barrier Trials entries and results on itm.ie gives all the info and footage of the trials and Eloy D’amerval won one of these at Naas on September 3rd.
Armed with that information the layers took no chances about Gerry Keane’s first-timer (reportedly briefly fancy prices when markets opened) and in the hands of Robbie Colgan the son of Cappella Sansevero travelled sweetly through the six furlong heat.
Nicely-supported (7s into 11/2), the victor, a half-brother to 2016 Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine, Jet Setting, and recent scorer, Mean Fomhair, had to work to see off Johann Zoffani (10s into 6s) by a head.
Johann Zoffani nearly brought off a double for Michael O’Callaghan and Leigh Roche as they’d taken the previous race with Deidra
Johann Zoffani landed a barrier trial at the same session as Eloy D'amerval.
“He showed us from day one that he was a nice horse, and he came here for a barrier trial and won that easy. He was beating everything we had at home, and if he was beaten we would have been disappointed," said Keane.
“The boys (Frankie and Brian Duffy, owner/breeders) would like to sell if they could as they have the half-sister Mean Fomhair that won in Roscommon which they can keep as a broodmare. They lost the dam last year with colic.
“I’d say he wouldn’t want it any faster than it was today, and he’d probably like a little print in the ground. Six would be a little sharp for him, and he’d be better over seven.”
(AM & EM)
