Enjoying their best ever season, Johnny Murtagh and stable-jockey Ben Coen landed the featured DNG Handicap in the Curragh courtesy of Retracement.

Backed into 7-4 favourite, the Australia gelding, having his sixth run for Murtagh, was produced late by Coen and knuckled down well enough to get the better of In My Teens by a half-length with Fiver Friday in third.

“He’s a horse with a lot of ability, but he’s a bit tricky,” acknowledged Murtagh, now on the 53-winner mark for the season. 

“He used to be very keen and has always worked well. We fancied him a few times but he let us down.

“He’s growing up mentally and I knew he was in good shape coming here today. We’ll see how he is and, if he’s okay, you might see him again at Leopardstown on Sunday (in the Bahrain Turf Club Handicap).”

Robert Whearty edged ahead of Wayne Hassett (23-22) in the race for the apprentice championship thanks to a clear-cut win on the Ger Lyons-trained debutante Sulk Braid in the six-furlong two-year-old maiden.

“We were anxious to run her on grass before the end of the season,” explained Shane Lyons. “And we’re delighted to get a winner for Robert – he’s a good lad, a member of the team and rides out two morning a week.” 

Dylan Browne McMonagle maintained his push for the senior title thanks to a hard-earned success on Joseph O’Brien’s Acclamatic, who made it fourth time lucky in the opening two-year-old maiden.

The winning rider said: “He’s a solid horse and has been hitting the crossbar. He races lazily, but has sharpened up by racing. He’s good and tough and was strong through the line.” 

Title rival and six-time champion Colin Keane was on the mark later, partnering Danny Murphy’s progressive three-year-old sprinter Unique Journey to a convincing win in the DNG Handicap.

“He’s a nice horse and grows a leg in that (soft) ground,” stated Murphy. “He’s in the horses-in-training sale, although I’d love to keep him in the yard, he could be a premier handicap horse next year.” 

And Aidan O’Brien’s Justify colt Appeared is off to the Newmarket horses-in-training sale next week following his gutsy, all-the-way win in the Final Furlong Podcast Maiden, in which Wayne Lordan’s mount reversed recent course form with runner-up Portnahapple.