The story of yesterday's Guinness Gold Cup is easy to tell. The bottom-weight Bootlegger tried to make all the running and only the favourite Quinze was able to pass him. If only every race was as easy.
The 2 to 1 favourites tag next to Quinze only emphasised what the three number ones next to his name suggested; that this is a rapidly improving five-year-old whose chance was obvious. It's no surprise that there is now a fourth number one and Quinze's trainer Pat Hughes was not surprised with the way the race unfolded either.
"We read it right. We thought Bootlegger would kick on with his light weight and I told Shane (Kelly) to keep an eye on him," Hughes smiled. "He's a good horse, very good considering I once said he might win a flat race when we'd finished the season hurdling with him."
Kelly did indeed keep an eye on Bootlegger although briefly before the turn in, he had to scrub Quinze along. That was a false alarm but when taking it up over a furlong out, Quinze drifted across Bootlegger before going on to win comfortably.
Kelly told Hughes the success was safe although he might be in trouble and so it proved with the season's leading apprentice picking up a four-day ban for careless riding. He will miss the first two days of the Galway September fixture.
Quinze will now try and make it five in a row in the £30,000 Premier Handicap at Leopardstown on September 12th.
Despite the ban, Kelly is likely to remember yesterday fondly as he brought his total this term to 30 with a double initiated by Crosskeys Lass in the mile maiden. The plan with this one was to hold her up but Crosskeys Lass decided against it and Kelly let her bowl along in front. Besherta narrowed the gap to a length at the line but Crosskeys Lass was a snug winner.
"Off a rating of 84, she more or less had to win and now we'll go to Listowel with her. Shane rides well and rides plenty of winners," said trainer Eddie Lynam whose stable star Rolo Tomasi is likely to reappear in the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury on September 19th.
It was also a day to remember for Limerick trainer Gerry O'Neill who saddled his first winner with Digital Signal in the McElligotts Handicap Hurdle.
Digital Signal is owned by a syndicate that includes the Limerick hurler Dave Clark and was not winning out of turn having being second six times previously.
Jim Bolger's Athlumney Lad looked impressive as she made all in the EBF Nursery to beat General Cloney by three and a half lengths. "She did it well and will be a better filly next year," Bolger said.
Jockey Mickey Duffy has been advised to retire from race riding because of persistent disc problems in his back. Duffy (34) has ridden mainly for Pat Flynn in recent seasons and his successes include winning the Carling Gold Cup at Tralee on Double Wrapped 15 years ago.
Diktat, Muhtathir and Starborough were withdrawn from Saturday's Group III Prix Quincey at Deauville yesterday. The trio all hold an engagement in Goodwood's Tripleprint Celebration Mile the same day.
