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1 Sprewell 8/1
2 Up And Under 11/4
3 Proud And Regal 6/4
8 ran Distances: 3l, 2½l, 1½l
Time: 2m 15.57s (slow by 10.17s)
Sprewell heading for @EpsomRacecourse after winning the @LeopardstownRC Derby Trial under Shane Foley for @Jessica_Racing pic.twitter.com/YOD2hglKCi https://t.co/rTUJFPYcoG via @RacingBetter
— RacingBetter (@RacingBetter) May 7, 2023
The Jessica Harrington-trained Sprewell was cut to 16-1 (from 50) for the Epsom Derby with QuinnBet having stayed on powerfully from two furlongs out to decisively defeat Up And Under by three lengths.
He had been positioned in midfield and winning jockey Shane Foley was left impressed by his finishing effort.
Foley said: "He's a very, very good horse. He wouldn't excite you at home and I wasn't sure how he was going but Kate [Harrington, assistant and daughter to Jessica] told me he was fine, ready and not to worry.
"He gave me a proper feel, when I gave him a squeeze he came back underneath me. It was a proper-run race and a good one. He'll be a Derby horse hopefully. He enjoys that soft ground really well. There's no reason why he shouldn't go on better ground but he handles it well."
Victory will be an emotional one for the trainer, who revealed in March that she was receiving treatment for breast cancer.
The 6-4 favourite Proud And Regal kept on well for third and trainer Donnacha O’Brien was pleased to see his Group One-winning juvenile blow away the cobwebs.
He said: “I thought he ran well and the first run of the year he might have got a bit tired. The last furlong he got a bit of a bump and he might have just had a blow.
“I thought it was a satisfactory run and we’ll make a plan from here.
“He was just a little bit rusty for his first run of the year.”
Derby Trial Stakes
1m 2f , €70,000 guaranteed
8 ran
Going: Soft to Heavy
POS. (DRAW) DIST HORSE AGE TRAINER JOCKEY SP
1 (2) Sprewell 3 9-5 Mrs John Harrington Shane Foley 8/1
2 (7) 3 Up And Under 3 9-5 Joseph O'Brien Mikey Sheehy 11/4
3 (6) 2½ Proud And Regal 3 9-5 Donnacha O'Brien Gavin Ryan 6/4F
4 (3) 1½ Londoner 3 9-5 A P O'Brien Seamie Heffernan 9/1
5 (8) nk Goldenstatewarrior 3 9-5 J P Murtagh Ben Coen 18/1
6 (1) nk Tower Of London 3 9-5 A P O'Brien Wayne Lordan 7/2
7 (4) 3¾ Mr Lincoln 3 9-5 Joseph G Murphy Gary Carroll 50/1
8 (5) 6 Mohawk Chief 3 9-5 A P O'Brien Killian Hennessy 80/1
