Rory O'Moore enjoys himself at the head of proceedings© Photo Healy Racing
Punters who backed front runners at Tipperary today were in clover as Rory O’Moore continued the trend and cantered in by 13 lengths for father and son Ronnie and Johnny O’Neill in the two mile bumper.
The seven-year-old gelding was coming off a break of 224 days, but stripped plenty fit enough to keep up the gallop all the way to the winning post.
The winner was a 4/1 chance in morning trading but was returned at an SP of 5/2. Kris Kindle on debut, took second for trainer Edmond Kent at 40/1 and she was 13 lengths in front of Tom Hogan’s Ardboe Abbey (17/2). It wasn’t a bad day for Hogan as his Gordon Lord Byron won the Group 1 Prix De La Foret at Longchamp.
“That’s Johnny’s third bumper win on him. He gets on great with him. He’s not the easiest of rides,” Ronnie O’Neill said.
“He galloped them into the ground. He likes to run away in front like a lot of the Stowaway’s [sire]. It would be stupid to hold him up.
“He’ll run in a maiden hurdle this day three weeks in Galway. Hopefully Andrew McNamara will ride. He’ll have no penalty in the race.”
Who’s Cross for Willie and Patrick Mullins was the 2/1 favourite, but he was struggling half a mile out and came home a well-beaten seventh.
(On course reporting by Thomas Weekes)
