Joseph O'Brien limbered up for his ride in the Queen's colours on Tactician in the Ebor at York with a superb double on the Wexford card.
The joint champion apprentice rode a patient race on his father Aidan's colt Monte Carlo in the ITBA (Southeast Region) Supporting Wexford Maiden, producing him with a strong run down the outside in the closing stages.< Clonbur looked to have the prize won when he got the better of Kayalar inside the final furlong, but Monte Carlo (9-4 favourite) arrived late and pounced on the line to score by a head.
O'Brien also had to be patient on Joanna Morgan's top-weight Snap Alam in the Pinnacle Handicap as she was boxed in, but he extricated the 13-2 shot inside the final furlong and swooped to beat Smoky Cloud by half a length.
The young jockey's hopes of a treble were denied when Michael Butler's 4-1 shot Akinspirit ran on too strongly for favourite Legendary Times in the Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap, winning by a length and three-quarters under Shane Foley.
Dermot Weld's youngster Cloudracer showed the benefit of her Curragh introduction nearly a fortnight ago as she ran away with the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.
Pat Smullen took the 5-2 shot to the front from the off and she began to stretch clear from the quarter-mile pole to beat odds-on favourite Criostal by an easy seven lengths.
Corky Carroll was able to dictate at a steady pace on Edward O'Grady's 4-9 favourite The Real Article in the three-horse Gorey (QR) Race and kept a bit up his sleeve to resist Benefit Of Porter by a comfortable two lengths.< Gudnis Gracious Me made a brave attempt to lead all the way in the jogforjockeys.ie Handicap but was collared close home by the Paul Flynn-trained Rusty Halo (14-1), the mount of Ronan Whelan, who won by three-quarters of a length.
