Aidan O'Brien brought his juvenile seasonal tally to 45 at Tipperary yesterday when Wagner, carrying the colours of Sue Magnier, just prevailed in a blanket finish from the gambled-on Davide D'Donatello in the opening two-year-old Maiden.
The daughter of Lure, a drifter from 2 to 1 to 3 to 1, was pushed out vigorously by Mick Kinane to land the spoils by a head. Wagner's supporters had cause for concern just inside the final furlong when the former champion had his whip accidentally knocked out of his left-hand by the hard-at-work Fran Berry aboard the runner-up which was supported from 12 to 1 to half those odds.
O'Brien went on to complete a 43 to 1 double in the next when Kaldan Khan and Kinane battled on gamely, despite burdened with top-weight of 10 stone on his back. Michael Halford, attending the Doncaster Sales, missed out on his apprentice Tadhg O'Shea (17) from Mallow recording his first success in the saddled on 10 to 1 light-weight Class Society in the two mile handicap.
"He chipped a splint on his hind leg in March and was standing in his box for six weeks afterwards," said Dick Donohoe after his eight-year-old gelding Clonmel Commercial scored in very cheeky fashion under an ultra confident ride from Kieran Gaule in the handicap hurdle.
Khairabar, sent off at odds of 1 to 8, scored with the minimum of fuss under Paul Moloney in the two mile hurdle, while Cappanmore Girl headed Rua Lass on the run-in in the Tipperary Supporters Club Maiden Hurdle.
