Watchable wins for O'Meara
Last Updated: 14/09/14 10:22pm
A wrap of the rest of the action from the Curragh, where Watchable took another valuable sprint prize back to Britain.
David O'Meara's Watchable (5/1 favourite) clung on to victory in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund "Bold Lad" Sprint Handicap at the Curragh.
Third in the Buckingham Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and again in the International Stakes at the same track in July, the British raider dropped back to six furlongs for his first start in Ireland and was ridden positively from the off by Daniel Tudhope.
Having moved smoothly to the front a full three furlongs from home, he took a couple of lengths out of the field heading towards the final-furlong marker and looked set for a clear-cut victory.
However, Zalty kicked in the turbo in the closing stages and there was just a head in it at the line.
The winner's fellow Brirish raiders Forest Edge and Arctic Feeling finished third and fourth respectively in the opener on day two of the inaugural Irish Champions Weekend.
Tudhope said: "I was a bit concerned about the ground and I probably got there (the front) too soon, but he stuck it out well.
"He's been racing over seven furlongs and not quite getting home.
"He's still a bit green and I could hear the other horse coming, but I felt I'd just held on."
Stepper Point led his rivals a merry dance in the Derrinstown Stud Flying Five Stakes.
Having been narrowly denied in both the King's Stand at Royal Ascot and the Nunthorpe at York by Sole Power, William Muir's stable star was the 9/4 market leader to gain a deserved success at this lower level.
The five-year-old showed his usual speed from the starting stalls and was quickly motoring along at the head of affairs for Martin Dwyer.
A number of his rivals were soon struggling to go the gallop and although Sir Maximilian did his best to bridge the gap in the last of five furlongs, Stepper Point was much the best and passed the post two and three-quarter lengths to the good.
Muir said: "He's been competing at the top and never lets me down.
"People say he keeps getting beat but Sole Power is the best around. It's like me playing football against Messi and Ronaldo!
"He went over the top at this time last year but I'd say we'll have to go for the Prix de l'Abbaye. He's got three weeks to freshen up."
Bookmakers Sky Bet cut the winner from 12/1 to the 9/1 for that Longchamp target on the back of this success.
Midterm Break emerged victorious in a British-dominated finish to the Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sale Stakes.
With €200,000 up for grabs, there was a strong raiding party in the six-furlong contest.
The David Barron-trained Midterm Break (16/1) had seemingly struggled in three starts since winning at Beverley in May, but battled on tenaciously in the hands of Graham Gibbons to take the lucrative prize by a fast-diminishing half a length.
Karl Burke's Explosive Lady finished with a rattle in second, just ahead of Richard Fahey's favourite Realtra in third.
Gibbons said: "He took me into a nice position and picked up nicely. That's definitely one of my biggest wins."