Fascinating Rock (left) and Ebanoran pass the line together© Photo Healy Racing
Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen enjoyed a treble at Leopardstown, culminating in Fascinating Rock s win in the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, though he needed the intervention of the stewards to get the verdict.
Smullen was content to sit at the rear of the field despite a sedate early pace, and may have been a little flat-footed when Ebanoran swept into the lead on the home straight.
Fascinating Rock (evens favourite) picked up really well close home though and despite being narrowly down at the line, Ebanoran had veered across and the stewards deemed that was enough to warrant reversing the placings.< Afternoon Sunlight s front-running display in the Derrinstown Stud 1000 Guineas Trial gave the trainer and jockey a double.
Smullen got his tactics just right on the 9-4 favourite, who had enough in hand of Palace at the furlong pole to repel her late thrust by a head.
Weld looks to have a hot prospect on his hands after three-year-old Mustajeeb showed a tremendous turn of foot to beat his elders in the Ardglen Amethyst Stakes.
Held up in midfield by Smullen, the 5-2 favourite made up a number of lengths in the space of a furlong, and after heading Brendan Brackan inside the furlong pole, he ran on well to score by two and a half lengths.< Herewego (7-2) got the better of a couple of more experienced rivals to land the Johnnie Fox's EBF Auction Maiden.
Kevin Prendergast's colt got the better of Primo Uomo in the closing stages and kept on well for Chris Hayes to beat the rallying Splashtop by a neck.
Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning landed a big-priced double when Sundara (20-1) made all to land the Microsoft Ireland Maiden, after 16-1 chance Edge Of Sanity took the Fitzpatrick McEvoy Gallagher Handicap.
Arthur Moore's Harley's Harley (6-1) won easily in the PFH Technology Group Handicap.
