Follow Me (No.5) and Shane Foley© Photo Healy Racing
Follow Me confirmed the promise shown in France last year when making a winning start for new connections in the Treacy Group Irish EBF Maiden at the Curragh.
The Shalaa colt earned a rating of 93 after a number of placed efforts last season and also shaping well in a Group 3 but was friendless here in the market drifting right out from 5/1 this morning to an amazing SP of 22/1.
The Ross O’Sullivan-trained colt responded gamely to Shane Foley’s urgings and finished strongly to get up in the closing stages for a half-a-length verdict over 7/4 favourite Eclipse Emerald. Kortez Bay was a further length and a half away in third.
O’Sullivan said, “I couldn’t believe he was drifting and was getting nervous had we got it wrong.
“Shane Foley has ridden him in work for the last six weeks and thought a lot of him.
“Tom Malone bought him at a sale in France for Amanda (Torrens, owner). She put an order in for him to find a nice horse and fair play he took his time and this horse popped up.
“As soon as he came off the box I liked him. He has size and scope. He had good form in France as a two-year-old but looked like a three-year-old. He’s a tall horse with a good temperament.
“He was declared for the meeting here that was called off and then we were thinking of running him in Dundalk, but we said we’d sit and wait for the Curragh.
“He had form over six, seven and a mile but showed plenty of pace in his work.
“Hopefully he can take us to the big days and we can have a nice summer with him. We’ll have to sit down now and make a plan.”
