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Takar makes the journey worthwhile for Murtagh
AFTER his near miss in the Ascot Gold Cup on Saddler’s Rock, Johnny Murtagh hotfooted it by plane and helicopter to make it to Leopardstown in time and the performance of Takar in the featured Glencairn Stakes made it worth the undertaking.
The John Oxx-trained colt quickened away decisively from his four rivals to win by more than four lengths and put his disappointing performance in the Irish 2000 Guineas last month behind him.
Pat Downes, manager of the Aga Khan’s Irish studs and his on course representative commented: “He’s slightly back on track now. We were very disappointed with him at the Curragh but he handles this soft ground very well and maybe it was just too quick for him that day.”
He added: “This was a different class of race of course. We’ll take stock now and look for a Group 3 for him.”
Happy to sit in behind the two leaders, he had to switch to the inside to get a run in the straight but when seeing daylight and asked for his effort he quickened well and drew right away inside the last furlong.
It wasn’t the strongest of contests but he couldn’t have done it more emphatically and this sort of ground seems to be what he wants.
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