After a second placing here on Tuesday, Foreign Legion (9/2 2nd favourite) stepped up to take gold this afternoon in the Thorn Plant Hire Handicap at Listowel.

Seven furlongs and good ground was what faced Foreign Legion a couple of days back, when he chased home Angel Palanas.

A mile on a heavy was the task this time, and the winner and eventual second Ecoeye were always to the fore.

That market-leader yielded inside the final furlong to Shane Foley’s mount, and a length and three parts separated them at the line.

A 72nd winner of the campaign for Foley, he now leads Colin Keane by six.

Four times a winner in Great Britain, the well-bred Foreign Legion was breaking his Irish duck here. He’s trained by John Larkin in County Louth for owner Breen White.

“We only bought him in July last year. We freshened him up and it’s only this year that we are seeing the best of him,” said Larkin.

“We were worried about the ground but he came home well today.

“He’s a horse that will probably go on to Dundalk.”

W.J. Lee, rider of Starting Monday trained by Gillian Scott, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount missed the break slightly.

(AM & EM)