Romanylei gives Burns a boost

Curragh trainer James Burns is anticipating a return to the good times next season, especially after his unbeaten Romanylei turned the supposedly competitive Birdcatcher Nursery into a procession at Naas yesterday.

Only four years ago, Burns was competing at European Group race level with the likes of Sagar Pride but this season has had just a handful of horses.

Fortunately one of them is Romanylei, who pounced on the leaders outside the furlong pole yesterday to win going away by an impressive four and a half lengths from the favourite and top-weight, Berenica.

"We can dream for the winter now," Burns said as he looked at the daughter of Blues Traveller admiringly. "I think Blues Traveller is a very useful sire and I bought two of his stock at the Fairyhouse Sales on the strength of this filly."

Burns added: "I've had just half a dozen horses but they are in great order and I will kick on with a bigger team next year of about 30. I am very pleased with this filly as she is still very inexperienced."

Jim Bolger may have been out of luck with Berenica, but his juvenile filly Aretha ran away with the Castlemartin Maiden and then Queen's Love made all the running in the Listed Soudavar Garnet Stakes to beat the favourite Crystal Downs.

A daughter of El Condor Pasa's sire Kingmambo, Queen's Love is a valuable brood-mare prospect and Bolger said: "If you don't see her next year, Storm Cat will be seeing her. But she is just as effective at nine furlongs, so she could run again this season."

Warren O'Connor, who intends riding over hurdles this winter in an effort to control his weight, rode his second Irish flat winner in five days on Quintus, who poked his way up the inside of Lawz to take the Coughlan Handicap by a head.

Aidan O'Brien's Grand Criterium success with Ciro dominated his day but he also took the opening maiden here with the 8 to 15 shot, Van Dantzig, under Seamus Heffernan.

Van Dantzig was always prominent but had to receive a few smacks from Heffernan to go clear and hold the 20 to 1 outsider Crusoe by a a couple of lengths.

"I'll give up that flat training lark!" quipped the popular Curragh trainer Jim Gorman after he trained his second bumper winner in a week with Portobello Lady. The filly, also bred by Gorman, had far too much firepower for the opposition in the closing stages under rider Kevin O'Ryan."

Paul Moloney partnered Genomic to a hat-trick of recent wins when the gelding pulled nine lengths clear of Altitude in the closing stages of the handicap hurdle.

At Cork on Saturday, Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen teamed up for a 242 to 1 treble, highlighted by the front-running success of Tarry Flynn in the Coolmore Stud Home Of Champions Concorde Stakes.

The blinkered five-year-old gelding made every yard of the running, quickening clear early in the straight. The English challenger Late Night Out stayed on well to reduce the margin to one and a half lengths at the line. Weld has a high opinion of Commanche Saddle who took the opening EBF Maiden in convincing fashion. The Sadler's Wells juvenile was also ridden prominently throughout by Smullen, and stayed on really well in the final furlong to beat fellow newcomer Majariyya by three lengths.

"He has always worked like a good horse, and I like him a lot. He may have another run this season in the Listed Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown, and he could be a Derby horse next year," said Weld.

Smullen sent Marching Orders past Misniuil a furlong out in the ESB Electricity Handicap to score by three lengths. The son of Nashwan will head to the Horses In Training Sale at Newmarket later this month.

Desert Sky took a walk in the market for the Goffs Autumn Bonus but duly obliged for Kevin Manning, although only by a head from Estival Park.