Spanish Tenor leads home Facethepuckout© Photo Healy Racing
Spanish Tenor fully exploited an inner draw to make all in the seven furlong handicap for three-year-olds plus, rated up to 100, in Gowran Park.
He was well away from gate one and dictated for Cian MacRedmond and they had the field on the stetch entering the final quarter of a mile.
Damberdiplomat was his closest challenger racing to the final furlong, but he could make no inroads inside the final furlong as Spanish Tenor scooted home at 5/1 for Ado McGuinness and Shamrock Thoroughbreds. Facethepuckout (6/1) picked up the chase in the latter stages and got to within three-parts of a length at the line without ever landing a glove on the winner.
Assistant trainer Stephen Thorne said: “This horse holds no secrets from the handicapper and has been very unlucky not to score before now this season. He’s been running consistently well for his age and has great enthusiasm.
“We were worried about the ground but thought we’d get away with it once as we’ve been minding him all year. He usually prefers slower ground, but got away with it today.
“There were a couple of defections and a good few of them didn’t handle the ground either.
“It’s a front-runners track and Cian gave him a lovely ride. That’s his 50th career winner and we are blessed to have two good apprentices in him and Adam Caffrey.”
The nine-year-old gelding has now on 10 per cent of his 70 races.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
