St Gallen scores under Daniel Redmond© Photo Healy Racing
Five-year-old St Gallen picked an opportune time to double his career score when taking The Caulfield Industrial Handicap at Galway.
The John Murphy-trained and Daniel Redmond-ridden 12/1 chance, bridged a gap going back to Killarney in May 2016, to triumph in this extended mile heat, by a length and a quarter from Try Again
Supported down from an opening show of 25/1, St Gallen was always up there, whilst third home Guanabara Bay finished off well from the rear, a further length and a quarter back.
"I'm delighted with that and it's great to get a winner here. He has been running well for a long long time now without winning," said Murphy's son George.
"When he won his maiden, he got a high enough mark and ran very well in a Group 3 at the Curragh after that and he has been so consistent since, he has never been given the chance to be dropped enough but he has done that very well there and the blinkers helped too."
Under the provisions of Rule 90(iii), the Stewards allowed Serefeli trained by Peter Fahey, to run on receipt of the trainer's written assurance that the horse was correctly vaccinated in accordance with Rule 91.
A.J. Slattery, rider of Dinkum Diamond trained by Andrew Slattery, reported to the Clerk of Scales that he got no run until the final furlong and ran on well.
B.M. Coen, rider of Flowerhill Nova trained by Andrew Slattery, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount was slowly away.
The Stewards requested a report from L.T. McAteer, rider of Keep Believing trained by Brian Nolan, concerning his unseating in the straight. He reported that his saddle slipped on the rise out of the dip and began to roll on the horses back before slipping to the side and he was unable to keep his balance and got unseated. Having viewed the recording and considered the report, the Stewards considered the unseating to be unavoidable.
The Stewards interviewed John James Feane, trainer of Lyfka (GB), concerning the conduct of this horse who was withdrawn at the start having failed to load into stalls, this being a recurrence of a similar happening at Dundalk on the 6th December 2017 and at Navan on the 14th July 2018. Evidence was heard from the trainer concerned. Having considered the evidence and taken into consideration the past record of Lyfka (GB) in relation to refusing to load into starting stalls, the Stewards using their powers under Rule 14 (iii) suspended Lyfka (GB) for 60 days from races being started from starting stalls.
The Stewards informed John James Feane, trainer that Lyfka (GB), would have to be recertified before being declared to run from stalls again.
The Stewards interviewed D.M. Redmond, rider of St Gallen, concerning his use of the whip in the latter stages of this. Evidence was heard from the rider concerned. Having viewed a recording of the race and considered the evidence the Stewards were of the opinion that D.M. Redmond was in breach of R(10)(3)(f) by using his whip with excessive frequency and R10(4) by failing to give his mount time to respond to the whip. Having taken his previous good record into consideration, the Stewards suspended D.M. Redmond for 2 racedays.
(TW & EM)
