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Mark Nunan
Kodiac Prince wins at 25/1 for the Clearys
Kodiac Prince and Rory Cleary win from Take My Hand
© Photo Healy Racing
Kodiac Prince was a 25/1 winner of the Please Support The Irish Injured Jockeys Fund 3-y-o Handicap in the hands of Rory Cleary.
The leaders went hard in this 7f event, and Cleary wisely bided his time in mid-division.
In the straight, the winner began to improve between horses and came through to challenge Take My Hand in the final furlong.
Fourth to Michael Mulvany’s grey earlier in the month at Leopardstown, but 6lbs better off with her today, Kodiac Prince was not to be denied on this occasion and was driven out to score by a length and a quarter.
Shona Mae (2/1 fav), out again quickly after her Leopardstown win on Thursday, had every chance but couldn’t find any more a furlong from home and finished third.
A half-brother to six winners, the winner was bought at the 2019 Goresbridge Breeze Up Sales for 40,000 Euros.
Winning trainer Tom Cleary, whose Kilganer Queen won over hurdles at Ballinrobe on Wednesday, said: "To get two in the one week is great, after waiting so long for one.
“I'm delighted with him and he has improved since his last run at Leopardstown, hopefully he'll improve again from that.
“Rory got a good feel from him at Leopardstown and he seems to be progressing, and going the right way.
“Hopefully the handicapper won't be too hard on him now and we can have another day out of him.
“I'll have a chat with Helena and Matty O'Toole that own him and we'll see what there is now. I can't imagine he'll come back for a couple of weeks.
“He went nicely on the ground at Leopardstown and the only thing that worried me here was where he was drawn. Rory got him into a good position and when the gap came he was able to go for it.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson