Smullen's treble

Pat Smullen confirmed his emergence as one of the brightest young riding talents in Ireland with a polished and powerful 714 to 1 treble at the Curragh on Saturday, the feature of which was winning the Group Three Meld Stakes on the complete outsider of the five-runner field, Caiseal Ros. Smullen (20) was having his first ride for trainer Jim Bolger but grabbed the race by the scruff of the neck and allowed Caiseal Ros stride from the front. Those who believed that Strawberry Roan or Casey Tibbs would reel her in received a rude shock when both began to struggle in the straight and ultimately Caiseal Ros and Smullen were good value for the two-length victory margin.

The post race drama surrounded Strawberry Roan who had drifted left under pressure and after a stewards inquiry she was demoted from second to third in favour of Casey Tibbs.

That was the first setback for her jockey Seamus Heffernan on a day that had promised so much for him with Christy Roche missing the meeting because of a reaction to his leg injury incurred last Wednesday. Roche hopes to be fit to ride at Galway today but Heffernan will be on holidays soon having picked up a three-day ban for careless riding on Strawberry Roan and a further four days for using his whip excessively on Monongahela in the later Ballymany Handicap.

The tough and busy Caiseal Ros will continue at work though with Bolger earmarking the Royal Whip for the filly next. Casey Tibbs won't attempt revenge, however, as Dermot Weld is eyeing the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes in Arlington for the colt, a race Weld finished third in last year with Dancing Fred.

Smullen, twice champion apprentice, initiated the treble on Tarascon who out-sprinted the favourite Saratoga Springs to win the Merrion Race by half a length. He completed the haul on Sunless, trained by Mary Rose Hayes who flashed past the post just a neck ahead of Rescue Time in the Ballymany Handicap.

Jim Bolger had earlier scored in the opening Rosslare Maiden with the favourite Law Library, owned by Mrs Geraldine Ryan, and having his first run for the Coolcullen trainer.

Law Library had to be driven by Kevin Manning to get the better of Photogenic by a length and a half but he was the third winner Bolger has trained for Mrs Ryan this year and will appear next in the lucrative Tattersalls Breeders Stakes at the same track on August 30th.