3 minute read
Aidan O'Brien failed to hit the target with his first juveniles of the season as Skitter Scatter won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Dundalk on Wednesday evening.
O'Brien saddled 4-9 favourite Sergei Prokofiev, a son of Scat Daddy who cost $1.1million as a yearling, and The Irish Rover.
Sergei Prokofiev looked poised to win for a long way, but Skitter Scatter (5-1) already had the benefit of prior run and fended off the market leader by a short head.
The Irish Rover showed promise in third place, but he finished another length and a quarter away from the Patrick Prendergast-trained winner.
Prendergast said: "You can't beat a (previous) run, although when I saw the race and what we were taking on I did consider not running her.
"She is the same at home and just wants to get her head in front.
"She wants six furlongs, really, and I can't run her on the turf at the moment as she makes no fist of soft ground.
"She'll go for the six-furlong fillies' Listed race (Juvenile Fillies Sprint) at Naas (May 20). She's pure honest and wants to win."
Prendergast completed a double when Red Persian (11-4) showed plenty of guts to thwart the challenge of Blue Uluru by a head and make all under Chris Hayes in the Avenue Inn Handicap.
Donnacha O'Brien got on the scoresheet when partnering Ming to victory in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden for his brother, Joseph.
Sandaryann, the 6-4 favourite, led for a long way but had no answers when challenged by the winner and the 14-1 shot powered clear to score by three and a quarter lengths from Written Word.
Joseph O'Brien made it two winners from as many runners on the night when the Wayne Lordan-ridden Rockfish (12-1) touched off Chaparral Dream by a head in the LMFM Family Fun Day Sunday May 6th Handicap.
Seanie (7-2) turned the tables on Sheisdiesel and Reddot Express with an impressive front-running victory in the Dundalk Stadium Business Club 2018 Claiming Race.
David Marnane's charge shaped as though a drop in trip would suit when picked up late on by the latter duo over seven furlongs here 19 days ago, and that proved to be the case as he was sent straight to the front by Declan McDonogh in the six-furlong event and repelled Sheisdiesel by a length and three-quarters.
Nightly Wailing sprang a 25-1 surprise to land the Crowne Plaza Race & Stay Handicap for Tom and Rory Cleary.
Returning from a 126-day layoff, the outsider moved into contention turning for home before staying on strongly on the inside to record a length verdict over 10-3 favourite Hediddodinthe.
