Fastnet Crown (green) is driven out by Colin Keane © Photo Healy Racing
Classy performer Fastnet Crown (4/1) took the featured seven-furlong handicap to give Colin Keane a 59/1 double after his earlier win on Firstman
A premier handicap winner at the Curragh on Irish Derby weekend and far from disgraced at stakes level on his previous two outings, the Hallowed Crown gelding had a fair bit to do in rear of mid-division at the top of the straight and shipped a bump when beginning his challenge over a furlong out.
He was quickly back on an even keel and collared the pace-setting San Andreas in the final hundred yards to beat that rival by a length and a quarter with the same gap back to Marsa in third.
Winning trainer Michael O'Callaghan said: "He's kind of a deceptively progressive horse. I've always thought he was maybe stakes class. He has just taken a lot of time and he is a half brother to I Am Superman who is six now and was second in a Group 1 on his last start in Australia.
"This family just get better and better with age. He is quite versatile trip-wise but i actually think he will appreciate a step up in trip - I think he might stretch out to a mile and a quarter.
"A third of the race I thought they were going a little steady and it might turn into a bit of a sprint. He stays at it well and finishes out his races well.
"Tonight was just a prep run for Dubai, he is flying out to Dubai on 28th or 29th of this month. He went home after his last run to his woner/breeder Michael Smith's farm to freshen him up with the intention of getting him back in and going to Dubai with I Am Superman as well.
"They worked here two weeks ago and this race just appeared on the calendar and we ran him for a bit of prize money instead of working him.
"This horse appreciates nice ground and a decent surface, he doesn't want soft ground so that will suit him. We are looking forward to bringing him and his half brother I Am Superman who we brought home from Australia. We still owned him when we sent him out there and he won six or seven hundred thousand dollars when he was out there.
"I am going to go over and back (to Dubai) a few times.
"I would hope by the time he comes back from Dubai he might be out of handicaps."
Quotes from Michael Graham
