French Company (9/4f) registered a fifth career success when reverting to claimer class at Sligo today, as the six-year-old landed the opening Rockshore Lager Claiming Race under champion jockey Colin Keane.

The Jimmy Coogan-trained gelding had previously finished second in a similar race at Limerick in June and, following a subsequent disappointing Apprentice Derby run at the Curragh, today raced with the pace and held on to beat Newfire by a neck.

There were no successful claims post-race although fourth-placed Miss Abby Jools was the subject of a friendly claim.

Winning jockey Keane commented "he's pretty straightforward, he pinged the gates and rolled forward. He quickened up well but tied up a little bit near the line. He's not overly big and has a low action, but he's mad genuine and is very competitive in this grade.

“The ground is pretty soft and probably as slow as he wants it; I'd call it yielding to soft, probably more soft to be honest.”

Quotes from Mark Nunan