Straight Up obliges for Wootton Bassett at Listowel

Straight Up was a poignant winner of the opening race on day three of the Harvest Festival at Listowel, with the son of Wootton Bassett making an impressive debut for Aidan O’Brien.

Just hours after Coolmore announced the death of the superstar stallion, his previously unraced son was the 9-4 favourite for the WTW Willis Irish EBF Maiden in the hands of Wayne Lordan.

After following stablemate King Of Sparta to the home turn, Straight Up extended three lengths clear in the final furlong and looks more than ready for a step up in class.

Stable representative Chris Armstrong said: “He is a lovely horse and has plenty of size and scope. To do that without a prior run was a very good performance and Wayne was delighted with him.

“He jumped a bit slow but was able to recover and his last furlong was his best. Whatever he does at two will be a bonus and could be a lovely middle-distance horse for next year.

“We’ll try to get one more run into him this year and then put him away.”

On the death of Wootton Bassett, he added: “The news was out early on social media this morning and obviously he is a massive loss. When you look at the few years he has been at Coolmore, what he achieved was astronomical and we were fortunate to have so many nice ones by him.

“His progeny have engines, minds and have everything. There are obviously more crops to come, but his death is a massive blow to the whole team.

“To lose your star is a big one and he was the ultimate. We have to look forward now so hopefully there are a few more stars to replace him at stud.”

John Nallen’s Cristal Clere was an 11-2 winner of the feature race on the card – the Edmund & Josie Whelan Memorial Listowel Stakes.

The seven-year-old was running for the second time in as many days after finishing fifth in a handicap at the track on Monday and with Seamie Heffernan in the saddle, he knuckled down in the closing stages of this Listed contest to get the better of Norwalk Havoc by a length and a quarter.

“He is a horse we initially schooled over jumps but he dragged his back and then Seanie (Bowen) was wanting a horse to ride at Dundalk, so we went on the Flat with him. For a horse we bought to go to Bellharbour (point-to-point track), he is all right and has been very lucky for us,” said Nallen.

“If ever a horse deserved to win a Listed race, it was him as he had been knocking on the door and he also put Seanie on the map. He has given us great days.

“He got stuck in the ground here yesterday and just isn’t as competitive with horses around him. He is like me as he likes to get things his own way!”

Joseph O’Brien’s Limestone justified 5-4 favouritism in the MAC Hardware & Farm Supplies Irish EBF Rated Race under Dylan Browne McMonagle.

O’Brien was represented by former trainer Mick Halford, who said: “Today seems to be all about being in the first two (positions) and all the winners are coming from being up with the pace.

“He was drawn in stall four and Plan A was to go forward, but I don’t think it played to his strengths making the running as he was a bit green and got lonely.

“He is a lovely horse and I liked the way the first two pulled clear of the third. He was due that and I was impressed by the way he picked up early in the home straight.”