The in-form Dermot Weld-Pat Smullen alliance continued on their winning ways before a bumper Bank Holiday crowd at Downpatrick yesterday when Standing Applause easily upset warm favourite Golovin in the Eastwood Bookmakers Race.
Bringing champion Pat Smullen's seasonal tally to 60 in the process, the Michael Smurfit-owned son of Theatrical forged to the front at the half-way stage and kept on well up the punishing uphill final furlong to slam Michael Grassick's 4/6 chance by four-and-a-half lengths.
Clever Consul and Macabeo, first and second respectively in last years running of the Ulster Cesarewitch, filled the same finishing positions in yesterdays encounter with Fran Berry aboard Tony Martin's 11/4 winner.
'My horses have been under a cloud with one thing and another and this horse took a lot of time to get right. He has won three times here and we'll probably go back hurdling with him,' said Martin of the 6-Y-O. It was also a trip worthwhile by members of the Hard Hat Syndicate, some of which arrived by helicopter including Dublin property developer Seamus Ross.
The Magners Cider Handicap over 1m5f produced a thrilling finish with Breathonme, owned by Rolling Stone Ron Wood, just holding the fast-finishing top-weight Northern Mill and Fran Berry by the minimum margin.
