'In those conditions, he's hard to beat' - mudlark Ribee dominant in the Irish Lincolnshire

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Mick Mulvany added a second Irish Lincolnshire to his CV as mudlark Ribee powered through the heavy ground to produce a dominant performance on day one of the Irish Flat season.

A 25-runner field went to post for the traditionally tricky handicap. This year, as almost every year, it looked almost impossible to solve.

Ribee was a winner of his final two starts on testing surfaces last season, but was sent off at 20-1, while the market latched on to the Kevin Coleman-trained Akecheta, who was the 7-2 favourite.

But the market leader never got involved, an apt description for most of the field as, in truth, the Declan McDonogh-ridden Ribee could be called the winner passing the three-furlong pole.

Eastwatch made late gains on the son of Ribchester, but it was too late to get any nearer than a length and a half.

“In those conditions, he’s a hard horse to beat,” the winning trainer said. “I’m delighted for the owner-breeder. It’s the first horse he ever bred, so he had to keep him!

“I feel sorry for poor little Wesley [Joyce]. At the end of the day, he’s the stable jockey. But the owner wanted a senior man on, so we went with Declan. Today was the day and we’ll worry about the next day when it comes."

Mulvany capped a wonderful day when Electric Beauty won the other mile handicap at 20-1.

“Don’t come back in if you don’t win”

Martin Hassett could not see Dmaniac being beaten in the €35,000 6f handicap. The trainer was so confident that he sent rider Wayne Lordan out with a good-natured warning ringing in his ears.

Hassett explained: “I said to Wayne, ‘Don’t come back in if you don’t win’. I couldn’t see him being beaten. Everything was lined up today. He wants pure, bottomless ground.”

Dmaniac was making it back-to-back course-and-distance wins, having been successful off 9lb lower in October. Lordan always had the four-year-old well positioned and the 7-2 joint-favourite stamped his authority over the opposition late on.

Hassett added: “Today was the Gold Cup. We had to have him right. We had been praying for rain. He’ll run next week if there is something for him because it’ll dry up soon and then he could be off for four months.”

Partnership paying off for Foley

Ruler's Control won the opening race of the Flat season for young trainer Jack Foley (far left)

Ruler's Control won the opening race of the Flat season for trainer Jack Foley (far left)Credit: Patrick McCann

Point-to-point handler Donnchadh Doyle and ex-champion conditional jump jockey Jack Foley, now training, teamed up for a noteworthy success in the 5f maiden.

The race has been a good guide to Group 1 winners and their 15-2 chance Ruler’s Control was resolute in seeing off the 5-6 Amo Racing-owned favourite, Force Noir.

Doyle has been purchasing more Flat types recently and entrusting them to Foley, who saddled his first winner at Dundalk in December.

“We thought an awful lot of this horse,” Foley said. “We didn’t have anything able to work with him at home. He’ll be offered for sale – if he’s not sold, we’ll dream with him.

“Donnchadh has provided me with a lot of nice horses. He's trusted me. I can’t thank him enough.”

Pollenca storms past Signora

Frankel filly Signora looked nailed on to defy a market drift from 1-3 to evens as she pulled clear passing the furlong pole in the 7f fillies' maiden, but Pollenca finished like a train to land the spoils for Andy Slattery at 10-1.

Slattery was unsurprised at the victory. He said: “I expected it to be honest. She had a nice run in Dundalk when she ran green and finished fourth. The owners are sellers, so I mightn’t have her too long.”

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