King Cuan in front close home© Photo Healy Racing
King Cuan showed a fine turn of foot to win the €100,000 Goffs Sportsman's Challenge over the extended five furlongs in Naas, after being badly hampered over a furlong out.
The well punted 4/7 favourite raced in second behind Jakajaro and was badly impeded when the leader edged left towards the rail after he was given a backhander by Luke McAteer.
The leader was soon ridden to assert inside the final furlong and King Cuan faced a deficit to claw back in the closing stages.
To his credit, he certainly did it for Billy Lee as he engaged top gear in the final 100 yards and stormed past Jakajaro close home to win going away by a length.
The runner-up was returned at 4/1 and was a length and a-half in front of British-raider James's Delight also at 4/1.
Paddy Twomey said: He's a grand horse. Things didn't go that smoothly for him but he was able to overcome it with ability.
“I was keen that he ran last week before he came here and I'm happy with the result.
“I'd say that will be it for this year. He's a horse with a lot of talent, even when the other horse nearly put him through the rail I wasn't worried as I figured that he'd pick up and do that.
“He's a nice horse and as I said last week we have a nice bunch of two-year-olds.
“The syndicate is pretty much Naas based, so it was great for the horse to come here and do that. It's mission accomplished.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
