Piri Wango, left, collars Flic Flac at Leopardstown© Photo Healy Racing
Three-year-old Piri Wango was too strong for his elders in the Saw Doctors Handicap over seven at Leopardstown.
It looked like Flic Flac had stolen a march on the field approaching the final furlong, but Emmet McNamara drove his mount alongside and they got the upper hand in the last 100 yards to win by half a length.
Piri Wango landed a bit of a touch as he was 9/2 in the morning, opened 7/2 at the track and went off 11/4 favourite.
He had run a noteworthy race at Newmarket in July in a 16-runner six furlong handicap finishing sixth, but crucially on soft ground. Most of his form though was on the all-weather surface.
Ger Lyons trained the winner and he said: “I came very close to pulling him out. Obviously he wants better ground. Seven furlongs around a bend is his optimum trip.
“He was rated 97 today so that will put him up high enough to get into Dubai. He’ll be a lovely horse at four and I’m really looking forward to taking him to Dubai.
“He holds entries in a number of Group 3s and that’s where we’ll be heading.”
Flic Flac took the runners-up berth at 12/1 while Fairy Wing completed the placings at 7/1 for Jessica Harrington and Fran Berry.
(on course reporting by Alan Magee)
