San Aer hits the front inside the final furlong© Photo Healy Racing
San Aer confidently ridden by Bill Lee, repeated last year's win in the KONE Handicap
Settled in mid-division, the 3/1 joint-favourite was travelling well in fourth entering the straight and Lee elected to wait for a gap rather than angle out for his challenge. An opening materialised inside the final furlong and the five-year-old went away to beat the 2021 winner Big Island by three and a quarter lengths.
Tom Mullins, who trains the winner for Rory F Larkin, said: "I was nervous for a moment but he said if he had to pull him up to go wide, it would have sickened the horse so he kept chancing the inside. He got a good ride, loves that ground and it couldn't be heavy enough for him.
"He won this race last year, is a great honest horse and keeps pulling out every day. He had a nice second last week and while he got stopped, wouldn't have won.
"He'll go to the Curragh on Sunday for either a E50,000 mile handicap or another race over seven furlongs. I'll chat with the owners and decide."
Quotes from Tom Weekes
