Smiley happy people! From L to R; Caroline Murtagh, Niall McCullagh, Seventh Sign, Luke Dempsey & Tommy Carmody© Photo Healy Racing
Top weight Seventh Sign blitzed his rivals in the Sligo Park Hotel 3yo Handicap as he scored by an easy eleven lengths under Niall McCullagh for Tommy Carmody.
Having just his second start for Carmody (formerly with William Haggas), the son of Pivotal was fitted with blinkers for the first time this evening.
Sent off at 10/1, after finishing a well beaten eighth on his Irish debut at Roscommon behind Call Me Bubbles last month, he chased the leaders early on.
McCullagh then sent him to the front four furlongs from home before kicking clear two furlongs out.
He stayed on strongly from there and was eased inside the final furlong as he recorded a very easy success. Stay In My Heart stayed on well to finish best of the rest in second at 12/1 under treble seeking Conor Hoban for Charlie Swan while Dayrina was a further three parts of a length back in third at 5/1 under Ronan Whelan.
Having opened at 6/1 this morning the Arthur Moore trained Positive Vibes went off the 10/3 favourite under Fran Berry but he never gave his supporters a run for their money and finished twelfth of the thirteen runners.
Winning trainer Tommy Carmody said afterwards: "We put the blinkers on him to just wake him up.
"He’ll make a nice jumping horse for someone. He is entered in Ballinrobe on Monday and he will go there provided he comes out of this ok."
(On-course reporting by Alan Magee)
