The outsider Izmir returned to a rather muted welcome after easily winning the Killarney feature last night. The punters' shock was understandable considering Izmir was a 16/1 shot for the Great Southern Handicap and at the furlong pole the finish looked set to be dominated by the three market leaders.
The pace-setting Copper Express was fading when Thepointaboutitis began to assert his superiority over Neutron but then Izmir was eased to the outside and almost instantly the complexion of the race changed.
Ross Geraghty, older brother of the champion jumps jockey Barry, was riding his first ever winner on the flat and he will rarely have an easier one in the future as Izmir only had to be nudged out to beat the staying on No Avail by a couple of lengths.
"Very surprised" was the verdict of Izmir's trainer Edward O'Grady, who bought the ex-Aga Khan owned horse in France last year.
"He's taken a while to come to himself and that was the first time he's shown us that level of ability. But he's a light horse and the good ground probably made a difference," O'Grady added. "He's entered at Galway and we'll possibly go there next, either on the flat or over hurdles."
Diamond Melody, trained locally by Tommy Cooper, won on his first appearance since fracturing his pelvis in January when overhauling Boots N All and Drishogue Lad in the closing stages of the handicap chase.
"That was an unreal performance. He's only back in for the last seven weeks but he worked so well in the last week that we had to go for this," said Cooper, who was saddling his second winner of the week.
The Beginners Chase went to the Paul Carberry ridden Woodchester, an £1,800 Goffs purchase by Jimmy Mangan last February, while Testify was a fourth career winner for 20-year-old Gary Hutchinson in the Long Distance Hurdle.
The Galway Plate hope Feathered Leader could only finish sixth but there was significant compensation for his owner Michael O'Connor, whose son of the same name trains Testify.
Apprentice Jayne Mulqueen (21) rode her second winner on Stubbles who took the mile handicap in a close finish from Silver Spray and the warm favourite Dromhall Lady.
The fancied Petite Ville got very upset in the stalls before the apprentice claimer and was never a factor behind the Charlie Swan-trained winner Gonemoggelease while it was a late, late show by Mutahamis who dramatically swept by Maradan in the last strides of the two-mile maiden to score for Dermot Weld.
Champion British jumps trainer Martin Pipe and leading on-course bookmaker Barry Dennis are among five people summoned to appear at Portman Square this morning as part of an investigation into alleged instances of multiple claims.
Along with Pipe and Dennis, Alan Timms who worked as Dennis's clerk, and Pipe's travelling head lads, Craig Wylie and Eamon Leigh, will also be appearing before the disciplinary committee of the Jockey Club.
