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- Queluz follows-up on Cork success
Donal Murphy
Queluz follows-up on Cork success
Queluz is ridden out by Gary Halpin
© Photo Healy Racing
Queluz followed-up on his win at Cork last Sunday, as he made all in the Festival Of Speed July 16th Handicap.
After a string of placed efforts, the John Geoghegan trained four-year-old finally made the breakthrough on his seventeenth start last weekend.
Upped five pounds in the handicap for that win, he opened at 3/1 on-course before going off the clear 9/4 favourite.
Soon in front under Gary Halpin, he increased his advantage from the two furlong pole and was soon ridden, keeping on well inside the final furlong to score easily by six and a half lengths. Nivvo finished second under Ronan Whelan for Tracey Collins at 8/1, while Red Aggressor (14/1) was another two and three parts of a length back in third for Rachael Blackmore and John 'Shark' Hanlon.
Geoghegan said afterwards: "I'll have to get him (Gary Halpin) to put on wing mirrors (after winning six and a half lengths)!
"I took a chance running him but he was well and it paid off. He'll have a couple weeks holidays now, as I will, and we'll see what the handicapper does. He'll be in the 0-70s now but if he can win another like that I won't complain.
"I haven't looked too far down the road but there's a race for him on the Saturday of Galway next."
STEWARDS REPORT
K.J. Leonard, rider of Scobias (GB) trained by G. Webb, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount pulled too hard in the early stages.
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes