BOPEDRO RETURNED TO form to give Conor Hoban and Jessica Harrington a big handicap victory in the Paddy Power Irish Cambridgeshire at the Curragh.
Virtually pulled up when last of 13 over course and distance earlier in the month, the five-year-old was sporting a first-time visor on this occasion.
And that certainly appeared to have the desired effect, as he burst through on the far side.
Well-backed 9-2 favourite Moddy Poddle had been up there throughout and stuck on to give chase, but there was no catching the 28-1 winner, who was two and a half lengths to the good at the line.
Fastnet Crown was another half-length back in third and top-weight Saltonstall a gallant fourth, a further length away.
It's victory in the €80,000 @paddypower Irish Cambridgeshire for @Jessica_Racing & Conor Hoban at the @curraghrace 🏆
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 27, 2021
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The win came in the colours of Yuesheng Zhang carried to victory earlier on the card by Magical Lagoon, also trained by Harrington.
Harrington – on the scoresheet over jumps at Down Royal, too – said: “First-time visor made all the difference to him. I told Conor to bury him and he picked up really well. It’s fantastic.
“It’s great for Conor as he broke Magical Lagoon for me, as he does most of Mr Zhang’s.”
She added: “They don’t normally win big handicaps like that. The last day here he hung and Shane (Foley) pulled him up. His eye was completely closed over and he must have got a sting or something like that.”
Bluegrass put up a gritty display when making all the running for the Aidan O’Brien stable in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C&G) Maiden.
Seamie Heffernan dictated affairs on the 5-2 favourite from the start, with the son of Galileo finding extra when challenged to score by a length and half from Good Heavens.
O’Brien said: “He’s come forward a good bit from the first run when he was very green. He was drawn out on the wing the last day and never got involved.
“We think he’ll come forward more and I wouldn’t be afraid to go for a stakes race now with him.
“He should improve from every run, he’s that type of horse.”
Sarah Lynam enjoyed a notable winner of her own courtesy of Goodnight Girl (9-1) in the TRI Equestrian Handicap.
She said: “She ran a cracker here on Derby weekend and was just caught on the line. That’s my first winner at the Curragh so it’s very satisfying.”
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