Hall Of Mirrors, left, has them all in trouble© Photo Healy Racing
Hall Of Mirrors the outsider of four, won the Group 3 Kilfrush Stud Royal Whip Stakes under a hands and heels ride from Seamie Heffernan.
The 13/2 shot made all and looked a sitting duck as Kingsbarns loomed up on his outside with a furlong and a half to race. However, Heffernan still had plenty of horse and his mount refused to yield. In fact he found plenty more with 200 yards to go without his jockey having to go for the whip. He beat his better-fancied stablemate by half a length.
Aidan O’Brien said: “That was always liable to happen as the other horse is fit. He has had runs and he ran a very good race at Ascot. “We knew he (Kingsbarns) would get tired today, but he had to run. He came there but got tired.
“The winner is a very good yardstick. He goes a nice pace and he doesn't lie down. He's a tough hardy gelding. Kingsbarns is a horse that's had plenty of things and that's why we've minded him so much. We wanted to get him started and see. It doesn't always go according to the script!”
Kingsbarns had sweated up before the race and on his first track appearance for 144 days. His SP was 9/4. Punters came for Jim Bolger’s Parish Hall as he was backed down to 11/8 favouritism from an opening show of 13/8. He came home third, beaten two lengths and was never nearer than at the finishing line.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
