Blue Moon Boy swoops late to beat market principals

As is so often the case at Galway, it was all change right near the line in the Bathshack Maiden, with Blue Moon Boy swooping late to prevail by the narrowest of margins.

Failing to make an impact on his first two starts, the Andrew Kinirons-trained bay was available at 33/1 in early shows for this extended mile contest, eventually going off a 22/1 chance in the colours of owner/breeder Gerhard Matte.

Prominent in the early stages, the Luke McAteer-ridden three-year-old soon dropped back behind the leaders and was short of room on the inner approaching the straight.

Getting the desired gap with over a furlong to go, he came with his effort between horses inside the final 150 yards and powered home from there.

Coming through to lead in the final strides, he just done enough to hold off the late surge of Smithfield with a nose between them at the line.

The Gavin Cromwell-trained runner-up was returned a well-backed 3/1 joint-favourite (touched 10s early) in the colours of Alan Harte.

A runner-up on debut, Spanish Princess was the other market principal and after attempting to make all, she was swallowed up in the final strides, ultimately finishing another half-a-length back in third.

"We thought a good bit of him last year but he just disappointed, although he got going late the last day at Killarney where he hit the line well," Kinirons reflected.

"It was a nice step forward today, so he was just obviously babyish and the penny is after dropping.

"He is owned by a lovely man Gerard Matte, from Germany, who I have never actually met and has never been to see the horse but is a great supporter of mine. He keeps his mares in a stud in Offaly and I had a couple of horses for the stud.

"The horse obviously likes a cut in the ground, so we'll see where we go."

STEWARDS REPORT

N.M. Crosse, rider of Little Miss P trained by W. McCreery, reported to the Clerk of the Scales that his mount leaned left throughout.

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes