Romeo Sensini takes giant leap forward with Roscommon win
'He was very green and raw behind horses last week and never got going,' explained trainer Andy Slattery Sr. 'But he's a nice horse and came on a lot for the run. There's a Hong Kong connection with his owners, so he might end up out there.'
Placed in his three previous starts, the Joseph O'Brien-trained Omni Man opened his account when easily brushing aside front-running odds-on favourite Mocking in the JTW Distribution Roscommon Race.
Having stalked the pace, Declan McDonogh asked the Invincible Spirit colt to tackle the favourite with less than two furlongs to race and, soon in command, he stretched away to triumph by seven and a half lengths.
Michael Halford, representing O'Brien, said: 'He's a nice, big, progressive horse. He loved the ground and the step-up in trip and Declan said he quickened well when he asked him. The race set up lovely for him and he should improve with racing.'
Having ridden three winners in England last week, Shane Foley hit the target for his boss Jessica Harrington when guiding Thrifty Of Digby to a gutsy, all-the-way win in the Abbey Hotel Roscommon Handicap, holding off Vierson by a length and a quarter.
'It wasn't the plan to make it,' admitted Foley. 'But, after watching the first few races, I decided to let her roll along after the way she jumped – we reverted to Plan B. She enjoyed the ground and being in front and it all worked out well.'
Upped in trip, the Paddy Magee-trained Coulstys Way, a seven-race maiden, readily reversed Tipperary form with hot favourite Onemoredance (fourth) in the (0-70) Racing Again Here On June 9th Handicap.
The four-year-old filly was an eighth winner of the season for talented 3lb claimer Robert Whearty.
And Wesley Joyce was seen to good effect on the Philip Byrne-trained nine-year-old Out On Friday, also adopting successful, front-running tactics in the Garvey's Bar Ballintubber Handicap, the gelding's eighth success.
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