Visionary (Robert Cowell/Pat Smullen, 4/1) finished strongly to gain victory in tonight's Dundalk Fast-Track Qualifier, the 25,000 euros 32Red.com Race, over seven furlongs on Polytrack. The Dream Ahead colt is now guaranteed a free start in the £150,000 32Red Three-Year-Old All-Weather Championships over six furlongs on the same surface at Lingfield Park on All-Weather Championships Finals Day, Good Friday, April 14. Rock In Peace (Ger Lyons/Gary Carroll, 4/1), unbeaten in two previous starts this year, made the running at a steady pace before being challenged by his well-backed stable companion Tuff Love (Ger Lyons/Colin Keane, 11/8 favourite) on the far side and Visionary on the near side in the straight. He ran on well but could not hold the powerful finishing thrust of Visionary, who gave 6lb to his three rivals, and won by a length and quarter in 1m 26.77s, with a neck separating Rock In Peace and Tuff Love, while Remember The Days (Joseph O'Brien/Donnacha O'Brien, 9/4) finished fourth and last. Newmarket-based Robert Cowell commented: "I need to speak to the owner (Khalifa Dasmal) before deciding what to do with Visionary. "The idea of racing at Dundalk tonight was to try and get a free ticket to the big race on Good Friday, which is run over six furlongs. We have accomplished that and need to decide whether that trip will suit him. "He proved he stayed seven furlongs tonight, though it was a bit of a sprint at the end. All-Weather Championships Finals Day offers great prize money and I think he is quite a decent horse." Pat Smullen added: "Robert was very positive beforehand and Visionary has won like a smart horse. "They didn't go that quick early and I was happy to take a lead. He quickened well and seven furlongs is as far as he wants to go. "I think he'd rather come back to six furlongs than step up any further and he could progress to be a nice horse." Visionary has won three of his six races.
Menu
