Royal Pippen and Luke McAteer © Photo Healy Racing
Royal Pippen caused a 40/1 upset to win the LimerickRaces.ie Race at that track today as the Shane Donohoe trained colt showed improvement to win on his fifth outing under jockey Luke McAteer.
Royal Pippen was bred by Ballylinch Stud which had won the minutes earlier Zetland Stakes at Newmarket with the Martyn Meade trained Lone Eagle and at Limerick, Royal Pippen quickened from his early rear position to eventually score a length and a half win over Comfort Line
The son of Make Believe carried career form-figures of '0047' into today's winners' contest and afterwards an impressed Donohoe, on lead-up duty, said “he has a really good pedigree and I really thought he was a proper horse but just needed that ground.
“He is out of a Group winning mare who is by Lope De Vega so he loves soft ground but not quick, and he is better than most horses are on soft but can go on good.”
“He knows nothing and this could be a real horse. The way he did that, for what he has done, he could be anything; he is for sale.”