THERE were two listed races on the card at Dundalk last Friday and Joga Bonito (11/2) produced a gritty performance to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Star Appeal Stakes in the colours of Tony Bloom, who owns the grey son of Territories, in partnership with Ian McAleavy.

Billy Lee set out to make all on the Galway festival maiden winner in the seven-furlong contest, with market leader Salt Lake in his slipstream.

Racing to the final furlong, the pair drew clear of their rivals and Salt Lake disputed the lead briefly 100 yards out, before Joga Bonito found more to score by a neck.

Trainer Paddy Twomey reflected: “He has improved all year, and I’d say gelding him has brought about more improvement. That would be it for this year, and he’s a horse that will progress well next year.”

Dazzling performance

In the colours of Oaks winner Thundering On, Shimmering Sun (3/1) landed the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Legacy Stakes over five furlongs.

Shapoor Mistry’s daughter of Havana Grey turned for home just behind the leaders and got a clear run at things down the straight to beat Controlla by a length and a quarter.

The Harry Eustace-trained winner had finished second in the Group 3 Sirenia Stakes at Kempton on her previous start.

“I spoke to Harry on the way up and he was very complimentary of her. First ride for him, so it was nice to get,” said Coen. “I would say anywhere between five to six (furlongs), and they will have plenty of fun with her.”

Ring strikes gold

The Irish EBF (Fillies) Maiden (Smullen Series) over a mile was added to the card from the truncated meeting at Cork three days earlier and Golden Ring (2/5 favourite) won in the manner befitting those odds.

Wayne Lordan bounced out in front on the Coolmore-owned juvenile and she led all the way to beat State Of Clarity by four lengths.

Chris Armstrong was on hand to represent winning trainer Aidan O’Brien and he commented: “You’d think her best form would nearly be with a slight ease, but it is good that she came and did it here.

“She is a Wootton Bassett, and they can do anything. I suppose now the logical thing is to go to the Silken Glider Stakes at the Curragh, and you could see her going a mile and a quarter next year.”

JOSEPH O’Brien and Joey Sheridan teamed up for a double with their first winner being Snapequus (9/4 favourite), who came from off the pace to lead close home in the Michael And Esther Cooney Memorial Nursery.

The Ten Sovereigns colt defeated Tio Joao by half a length in the seven-furlong contest and Sheridan remarked: “He’s a lovely, straightforward horse and it’s always a pleasure to ride for John Farrell (owner). Very down-to-earth fella, and it is great that the horses he breeds go on to win.”

After the winner was found to be marked on its hindquarters post-race, Sheridan told the stewards that his mount is thin-skinned, but was found in breach of the rule governing excessive force in use of the ProCush and was suspended for two days.

New recruit

O’Brien’s new recruit Eleanor Shelby (22/1) defied a big market drift to complete the brace in the Bar 1 Betting ‘Best Odds Guaranteed Overnight’ Maiden over seven furlongs.

Formerly trained by Brian Meehan and a half-sister to his French 2000 Guineas runner-up Isaac Shelby, the Go Racing-owned filly came from well back to score by a neck from Purely.

“I didn’t plan on being that far back, but we went a ferocious gallop, so I just gave her a chance,” explained Sheridan. “She came home well and would have no bother getting a mile.”

GARY Carroll controlled the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap from the front on the Ger Lyons-trained Mallavelly (4/1) and the odds-on favourite Aviatrice could not find a way past in the seven-furlong contest, with three-parts of a length between them at the line.

“She stays a mile so, before turning in, I got her stretching on and she really galloped to the line,” said the winning rider. “We could have a crack at the Cooley Stakes for her to pick up a bit of blacktype.”

Hat-trick

Trained by Paul Flynn, Cafu Zafeen (6/4 favourite) brought up his hat-trick in good style in the Bar 1 Betting ‘Download Our App’ Handicap over five furlongs.

The Exceed And Excel gelding scored by a length and a half from Blue Anthem. Winning rider Shay Wallace, wearing the colours of Declan Sheridan, said: “The bends are helping him a lot. It was nice to find that out in Fairyhouse the first day, and it’s good to know that he is able to handle Dundalk.”

Kerdos has another Dundalk date

Kerdos (11/1) led home a one-two for trainer Stephen Thorne in the Bar 1 Casino Race over five furlongs.

Reese Holohan’s mount got first run on stablemate Sir Les Patterson, who continually met traffic problems in the straight, to win by half a length.

“We gave him a nice little break since the August meeting and freshened him up,” said Thorne of the six-year-old, who is owned by Michael Scaife, Liam Ferguson, Simon Murphy and H S Khunkhuna.

“The other horse was a little unlucky in running, but that is just racing. We have both of them entered for the Mercury Stakes back here.”