Lieutenant Command and Finny Maguire© Photo Healy Racing
It was a hugely successful afternoon for Gigginstown House Stud, with two high profile winners at Leopardstown, and a treble at Limerick completed by Lieutenant Command (5/1) in the ‘David Fitzgerald-Take It Easee’ INH Flat Race.
Finny Maguire’s mount, trained by Noel Meade, travelled strongly all the way before readily defeating Getabay (7/4 fav) by nine lengths, with Mr Lingo (6/1) another two and a half lengths away in third place.
The winner, by Kendargent, is a half-brother to three-time winner Some Neck and was making his racecourse debut having been unplaced in his only start in point-to-points for Pat Doyle (also had care of the Leopardstown bumper winner Appreciate It .
The winning rider Finny Maguire commented: "I never sat on him before but I love him.
"Ted Walsh junior (representing Noel Meade) filled me with a good bit of confidence as once he told me he'd handle the ground I was fairly confident because that is the main thing on a day like today.
"You couldn't fault him and he quickened up nicely. He'll win plenty more on ground like that.
"I was very lucky to get the spin as Mark O'Hare (Meade's first-choice amateur) was in Leopardstown.
"That's my second winner from three rides for Noel. It's also my second winner for Gigginstown - Ice Cold Soul was my first (in March 2015) and I've had three or four rides for them since then."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
