Oxx on the mark again

The Sinndar team of John Oxx and Johnny Murtagh aren't so much in red hot as white-hot form at the moment - a fact they emphasised with another couple of winners at Cork last night.

The Aga Khan's colours were carried to an all-the-way victory in the nine-furlong maiden by Tarwila while Lady Thyne's debut success in the opener inspired Oxx's assistant Slim O'Neill to the understatement of the evening: "The horses seem to be running reasonably good!"

Lady Thyne was a first flat winner for owner Christopher Maye whose successful runners over jumps have included Cloughtaney and Noble Thyne, the horse who beat Istabraq on his debut.

Lady Thyne ran out a three-parts of a length winner from the favourite Golden Hind despite running green and will be kept to six furlongs but Tarwila could be upped to a mile and a half for a handicap.

"She was unlucky at Clonmel when she stumbled and although she swished her tail, her mother (Tarwiya) did the same and she won the Park Stakes as well as finishing third in the Guineas," said O'Neill who again hit the understatement button when saying: "The jockey is riding with some confidence at the moment."

It was a very mixed evening for favourite backers. Evrobi, the 4 to 1 market leader for the seven-furlong handicap, just got the verdict in a desperately tight photo finish but it was very different story in the novice chase.

Beacon Lane had made all and looked to have the race won with a five-length lead at the last when unseating rider Philip O'Brien. That left the Charlie Swan-trained Like A Lion to run out a somewhat fortunate winner.

"You always need luck in this game," grinned Swan. "This horse has broke down three times and is very tough but I can't let him off for too long because he gets too fat."

Torduff Boy was all out to land the handicap chase by a neck from Hunter's Chorus and trainer Paul Nolan said: "I'm delighted because I thought he was a little high in the handicap. He might go to Galway even though he needs a galloping track to be at his best."

Caroline Hutchinson scored in the Ladies Race on Pat Martin's Breffni Flyer who had too many guns in the closing stages for Liz Doyle's mount Wire Man.

John Reid has come in for the plum ride on Godolphin's Fantastic Light in Saturday's Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown.