Tennessee Stud made a significant step forward to secure victory in the Camas Park Stud Irish EBF Maiden for Joseph O’Brien and Declan McDonogh at Tipperary.
The Wootton Bassett colt debuted at Galway, finishing third after making progress over a mile and a half. For his second outing, he was entered over nine furlongs in a maiden previously won by Aidan O’Brien’s future Irish Derby champion Los Angeles.
Starting at 5-1, Tennessee Stud was an outsider compared to the market favourite, Ballydoyle’s Shackleton, in a field of six. However, McDonogh’s mount took the lead early and maintained it throughout, finishing decisively ahead of the favourite by two and a quarter lengths, with the rest of the field trailing well behind.
McDonogh commented, "He showed some pace out of the gates and handled the tight track well. I was able to sit comfortably on him down the back, and he quickened nicely in the straight. The track’s bends weren’t ideal, but he managed well. He ran a good race and looks like he could be a stakes horse. Physically, he’s a beautiful horse with great balance. He learned a lot from his previous run, especially after a bump out of the gates."
The same partnership then claimed victory in the Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden with 4-9 favourite Dignam, who won by a length and a quarter, improving on his second-place finish at Gowran.
Adrian Murray and David Egan also enjoyed success with Malex (4-1) in the Rockwell College Race, running in the Amo Racing colours. Having previously been with Michael O’Callaghan before switching to Jorge Delgado in America, the five-year-old, who had a challenging three-year-old season, showed he still has plenty of ability by defeating Star Galaxy by a length and a quarter.
Murray said, "We’ve had him for about six months and weren’t sure what to expect today. He came back from America with a minor injury but has recovered well. We’ve been pleased with his work at home, and he delivered today. He picked up a small cut, but we hope he’ll be fine in a few days."