Aidan O'Brien was at Newmarket on Saturday and his very absence from the Curragh seemed to inspire confidence in the opposition for the Group Three Juddmonte Beresford Stakes. But, as so often this season, the Ballydoyle camp dominated the finish, with Lermontov just edging out Barrier Reef.
It was two lengths back to the favourite, Sharp Focus, with the second favourite, Polish Panache, fifth of the six starters. In contrast, Lermontov attracted no support in the market and drifted from 7 to 4 to 4 to 1 but the Alleged colt remains unbeaten, although only just.
Barrier Reef took it up from Lermontov inside the furlong marker but drifted sharply right in the closing stages and the impetus he lost in bumping Lermontov seemed to allow Paul Scallan's mount back up. Barrier Reef's rider Colm O'Donoghue was subsequently judged by the stewards to have ridden carelessly and received a two-day ban.
It was a memorable day for 18-year-old apprentice Scallan, who had earlier picked up a £1,000 award for winning the Derrinstown apprentice series in addition to landing his first Group success. The Beresford was the 15th winner this term for Wexford-born Scallan.
The O'Brien apprentices were to the fore throughout, as the final leg of the Derrinstown series was won by O'Donoghue on Zelden, who just edged out the topweight Rush Brook by the minimum margin.
Eddie Lynam had mixed emotions after his stable star Rolo Tomasi returned to winning form with an impressive defeat of the odds-on Social Harmony in the Waterford Testimonial Stakes.
Rolo Tomasi goes to Newmarket Sales next Monday and will have Lynam's praise to back up his appeal to buyers.
"He is starting to look now like the horse he promised to be last season. Eddie Ahern rode him to perfection. He was last two furlongs out, went through a gap that a skinny lady couldn't get through and that's the way he has to be ridden. He goes to the sales next week and I'll be lost without him," said Lynam, whose stakes-winning two-year-old Poco A Poco is also set to go through the sales ring.
The $4,000 purchase Dippers won at the second attempt after a short head verdict went her way over Castanetta in the five-furlong maiden. "I was reasonably certain she had won," Weld said after the result was eventually called. Dippers is out of a half sister to the Weld-trained champion sprinter Committed. Weld and Pat Smullen completed a double in the last, with Hadeb narrowly beating Twickenham.
In contrast, the easiest winner of the day was Tryphaena who was being pulled up by Niall McCullagh well inside the final furlong of the October Handicap. Another apprentice on the mark was Gordon Power, who sprang a 25 to 1 shock on the Frank Berry-trained Carnabrae in the Autumn Handicap.
Make A Stand, winner of the 1997 Champion Hurdle, is progressing well in his comeback from injury and could make his long-awaited reappearance in two months, trainer Martin Pipe revealed yesterday.
"He's in tip-top form at present but is only cantering after recovering from a leg problem and he should be ready to run around Christmas time," Pipe said.
