By Tom Frary
There was unwanted drama during Tuesday's Listed Holden Plant Rental Trial S. at Leopardstown as Ballydoyle's 6-5 favourite Year of the Tiger (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) suffered an injury in the home straight. Jim Bolger's unbeaten Ten Year Ticket (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) got up late at 8-1 to deny Aidan O'Brien's other runner King of Athens (War Front) by a neck.
Also coming on strong at the end of his Curragh maiden in October when successful at 33-1, the chestnut who was bred at owner Nicky Teehan's Bluegate Stud in County Kilkenny had received a form boost earlier on this card as the third-placed Tiger Moth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) provided Rosegreen with one of their first four successes. Settled behind the leaders early, Ten Year Ticket responded gamely to Kevin Manning's urgings from halfway and powered up the hill to subdue King of Athens in the closing stages. “He had won his maiden well on heavy ground and coped quite well with that, but it's the complete opposite today and he handled that every bit as well. He's a very laid-back horse at home, but had been doing what he'd been asked to and I think there is plenty more improvement to come. They went a good even pace and it was a very straightforward race to ride in. He's not short of pace, but I think he'll get a bit further. It's hard to put a finger on exactly where his limit is.”
The dam is an unraced half-sister to the G2 Lennox S. and G3 Jersey S. winner and G1 Lockinge S. third Tariq (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) who was sold for only 800gns at the 2010 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. She has subsequently proven a sensation, producing the G3 Prix de Seine-Et-Oise winner Snazzy Jazzy (Ire) (Red Jazz) and G3 Prix Texanita scorer Ross Castle (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}) as well as the G3 Prix Paul de Moussac third Admiral Rous (Ire) (Henrythenavigator) from her first four foals. Also connected to the G2 Greenlands S. winner Mobsta (Ire) by Ross Castle's sire Bushranger, she has a yearling full-brother to Snazzy Jazzy to come.
Tuesday, Leopardstown, Ireland
HOLDEN PLANT RENTAL TRIAL S.-Listed, €37,500, Leopardstown, 6-9, 3yo, 7fT, 1:28.75, g/f.
1–TEN YEAR TICKET (IRE), 131, g, 3, by Rock of Gibraltar (Ire)
1st Dam: Bulrushes (GB), by Byron (GB)
2nd Dam: Tatora (GB), by Selkirk
3rd Dam: Tatouma, by The Minstrel
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (75,000gns RNA 2yo '19 TATAHI). O-Nicholas Teehan; B-Bluegate Stud (IRE); T-Jim Bolger; J-Kevin Manning. €22,500. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $36,942. *1/2 to Snazzy Jazzy (Ire) (Red Jazz), GSW-Fr, SW & GSP-Eng, $318,264; Ross Castle (Ire) (Bushranger {Ire}), GSW-Fr, $230,422; and Admiral Rous (Ire) (Henrythenavigator), GSP-Fr, $106,674.
2–King of Athens, 131, c, 3, War Front–Together Forever (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien. €7,500.
3–Prince of Naples (Ire), 131, c, 3, Holy Roman Emperor (Ire)–Armoise (GB), by Sadler's Wells. (€36,000 Ylg '18 TIRSEP). O-John Lavery; B-Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd (IRE); T-Sheila Lavery. €3,750.
Margins: NK, 1 3/4, 2. Odds: 8.00, 10.00, 16.00.
Also Ran: Dark Vader (Ire), Edward Hopper (Ire), Battle of Liege. DNF: Year of the Tiger (Ire). Scratched: Real Force (GB). Click for the Racing Post result.
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