Light lands Ballysax with Livingston only fourth
Report: Leopardstown, Sunday
P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes (Group 3) 1m2f, 3yo
LIGHT HEAVY provided trainer Jim Bolger with a third successive win inthe Ballysax Stakes as favourite and Investec Derby hope David Livingston failed to fire back in fourth.
Bolger sent out Banimpire to take the race 12 months ago after Puncher Clynch took the prize the year before.
David Livingston, 25-1 for the Derby before the race after a juvenile career that included a win in the Group 2 Beresford Stakes, was sent off favourite to make a winning return and sat in fourth as stablemate Athens set a strong pace.
Rounding the turn for home David Livingston was still travelling well while main market rivals Call To Battle and Light Heavy were being ridden.
But the Aidan O'Brien-trained favourite did not pick up and Ligth Heavy kept on stronglyto claim a two-and-a-half-length win from Call To Battle with Tower Rock third and David Livingston fourth.
The winner is not entered at Epsom and Bolger said: "He'll go the Curragh [Irish Derby] route. We like him and you wouldn't know how good he is until the gun is put to his head.
"There are no negatives about him at all and he's a good moving horse and is hardy and only does what he has to do. All been well, he'll come back here for the Derrinstown [Derby Trial]."
Also on Sunday
Leopardstown: Heritage Stakes (Listed) 1m, 4yo+
FAMOUS NAME completed a hat-trick of wins in the Heritage Stakes when narrowly holding on from Sharestan.
Trained by Dermot Weld for Khalid Abdullah, Famous Name circled the field turning for home and kicked clear under jockey Pat Smullen.
The seven-year-old did not have the race wrapped up though and had to be driven right out to just hold off Sharestan by a head.
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