The Highway Rat and Chris Hayes © Photo Healy Racing
The 3/1 joint favourite The Highway Rat was an emphatic winner of the Hollywoodbets Donates To Irish Horse Welfare Trust Handicap in the hands of Chris Hayes.
The Dandy Man colt was a wide-margin winner over course and distance in May when trying the minimum distance for the first time but, off a 20lb higher mark, this was an even more meritorious performance in a much higher grade.
Having tracked the leaders towards the outer, Hayes’ mount got to the front a furlong out and readily drew three and a quarter lengths clear of stakes performer Lipizanner (7/2) in second.
Second on turf at Cork on his previous start, stiffer tasks await but winning trainer Andy Oliver has a very progressive young sprinter on his hands.
Oliver said: “He did that well. We were going to go to Ascot with him for the Palace Of Holyroodhouse Stakes, a new race for three-year-olds only over five furlongs on the Friday.
“We literally had the lorry loaded ready to go but we saw the forecast for rain and said there was no point.
“We’ve given him a few days break and he’s come back fresh and well for this. You couldn’t ask any more of him than that and Chris gave him a great ride.
“We’re not keeping him to five for any reason other than that is what is available. He’s won over seven so he’s fairly versatile. He does like good ground.
“On his last run at Cork it turned soft and sticky, and what impressed me was how he battled. He looked the first horse to get stuck in it but he battled back and just failed to get up.
“He has a great attitude and back on a sounder surface was to his liking.
“We’ll just plot our way with him and see. He’s a horse that I would have no problem travelling with as he’s easy to manage.”
Quotes from Alan Magee
