Pretty Smart and Sam Ewing (white, check cap) win from Ever Rock (red)© Photo Healy Racing
The Boyne Valley Apprentice Handicap saw Pretty Smart (4/1) come from well off the pace to win by a length in the hands of rising star Sam Ewing. Ever Rock (22/1) was second, with Pretty Boy Floyd (8/1) and the 3/1 favourite Teddy Boy completing the placings.
It was a third career win for the daughter of Dandy Man who’d also won her back in July off a 3lb lower mark.
16-year-old Ewing, who was a leading pony racing rider, got off the mark on the racecourse when Ardhoomey won at Cork in August, and this was his seventh winner of the season.
Winning trainer Pat Martin said: “He's a talented rider (Sam Ewing). I thought they went very hard and he was clever enough not to panic
“We said wherever she was able to travel herself is the right place to be. He did his homework and knew what to expect with her.
“In fairness to Dylan (Browne McMonagle) he told him a bit about her. She came out the right side of it and it's nice to come home in front as we've had so many seconds and thirds.
“She's not as mad as her half-sister (six-time winner) Aspen Belle. She has a lot of her traits and she's starting to catch up with her results wise.
“She's been very consistent. She was a little bit outpaced on the fast ground in Cork the last day.
“This is her ideal scenario, a testing five. She'll probably get six now as she's not as hard on herself as she used to be.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
