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Clare conquers Royal Ascot

This article is from page 88 of the 2007-06-26 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 88 JPG

CLARE racing is on high this week following the exploits of Elletelle for the Jesse Club Syndicate at Royal Ascot and Kieren Fallon’s continued rehabilitation as the best jockey in the business.

Elletelle, a 20/1 shot owned by Jack Heaslip, his son Sean, former Clare hurler Enda O’Connor and Steven McCarthy, won the Queen Mary Stakes over five furlongs with John- ny Murtagh in the saddle.

Returning to scenes of celebra- tion more akin to Cheltenham than Royal Ascot, the Ger Lyons trained filly stayed on gamely under a strong Murtagh drive to record a dramatic half-length success in the Group Two Cone

Meanwhile, Kieren Fallon returned to racing action following his six- month riding ban but the Ballin- ruan man continued his impressive comeback with big-race successes in France and Ireland last weekend.

The Ballydoyle number one scored a Surprise win at Saint-Cloud on Sun-

day when the Michael Stoute trained Mountain High upset the hot favour- ite, Mandesha, in the Group One Grand Prix de Saint Cloud.

This Group One success will serve as a timely confidence boost for Fal- lon who is expected to partner the ante-post favourite, Eagle Mountain, in the Budweiser Irish Derby next Sunday.

The 42 year-old confirmed why he is the best in the business at Limerick on Friday when producing a brilliant ride on Honolulu (11/4f) to win the Listed Martin Molony Stakes.

The Ballinruan maestro was record- ing his third success since returning to Irish racecourses when steering Aidan O’Brien’s inexperienced three- year old to a one and half-length vic-

tory in the feature race of the evening at Greenmount Park.

After being pushed along at half- way, the well-backed son of Montjeu responded well to Fallon’s urgings to strike the front at the two furlong pole where he assumed control from the John Oxx trained Athenian Way.

Fallon almost scooped a hat-trick of big-race wins at Down Royal on Sat- urday when narrowly beaten on Song Of Hiawatha in the Ulster Derby.

Looking ahead to Sunday Irish Derby, Fallon revealed that Eagle Mountain’s “form is solid and, when he won the Beresford Stakes, we knew he was our Derby horse.”

“His run in the Derby was great and he was beaten by one of the best winners we’ve seen for a while. Af- ter Authorized went on, he was rid- den for second and that run will have stood him in good stead,” he added.

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