THE CURTAIN came down on the last evening meeting of the year at Bettyville with a history-making flat fixture on Friday last. With the running of the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Fillies Maiden at 5.30 p.m., this race over one mile and half a furlong was the first ever exclusively targeted at twoyear-olds to be run at the Wexford track.

With a field representing some of the best yards in the country, including Aidan O'Brien, Dermot Weld, Jim Bolger, Jessica Harrington and Michael Halford, it was important to see this venture well supported. With the ground riding good to good to fast, the all-flat card saw three winning favourites in addition to four other well-supported winners.

On an evening that saw another healthy attendance, basking yet again in glorious summer sunshine, it is to be hoped that these numbers will return to the track over the October Bank Holiday weekend on the 23rd and 24th.

Two-year-old races are the nursery school for our future stars, and Bettyville made history with its first-ever race for this age category. With twelve runners facing the starter in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Maiden, victory here went to 'Luxurious', one of three runners from the Ballydoyle yard of Aidan O'Brien. The two-year-old daughter of 'Galileo' was sent off the 13/8 favourite in this fillies maiden, and she duly won in the colours of Derrick Smith.

Giving jockey Joseph O'Brien his first winner at Wexford, the filly was never out of the first two or three and passed her stable companion, ' Poinsettia', to win comfortably at her fourth attempt. Winning connections were represented by Pat Keating who stated 'we will get her home, but we were happy enough as she is improving all the time'.

The stable's double was achieved in the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association Maiden, with victory here going to 'Quest For Gold' over the one mile, three and a half furlong trip. Leading all the way, the 'Sadler's Wells' three-year-old upset the hot favourite, 'Alburj', to stay on stoutly to win at 5/1.

Ridden by Seán Levey, a five-pound claimer who has been with O'Brien in Ballydoyle for nearly ten years, this was a good spare ride for him as he replaced the absent Johnny Murtagh. Racing in the colours of Mrs. John Magnier, 'this horse was given a good ride by Levey and we are happy with the win' according to Keating.

Racing opened with the two-mile conditions flat race, with victory going to 'Myrine', justifying her odds of 7/4 favourite. This filly, a four-year-old daughter of 'Sadler's Wells', now races in the colours of Dungarvan man, Michael Ryan, who purchased her at the Newmarket sales as a yearling. Ryan, famous as owner of Guineas winner 'Finsceal Beo' and talented hurdler 'Al Eile' in the past,is keen to ' aim the filly at some of the better staying handicaps in the autumn, fingers crossed'. Trained by Jim Bolger and ridden by Kevin Manning, this was the filly's second win of her career and she pulled clear to win by ten lengths.

Rocklands Service Station have been supporting the stable staff's canteen at the racecourse for a number of years now and they sponsor this race run over two miles. Going a more sedate pace than in the opener over the same distance, the race was the first leg of a double for apprentice jockey, Sam James, who won on 'The Buck'. Trained in Co. Cork by John Murphy, the seven-year-old son of 'Quws' won at 13/2 in the colours of 'Othello Finetto', having led from over four furlongs from the finish. This open handicap saw this horse open his account on the flat, having been backed in by punters from an opening show of 10/1.

James recorded his double when joining forces with Co. Kilkenny trainer, Tom Mullins, who saddled 'Cristal Island' to win the Rosslare Handicap in the colours of his wife, Helen. Racing off her lowest handicap mark of 55, the four-year-old daughter of 'Trans Island' battled well under pressure to win at 11/2. James, who rides for Kevin Prendergast, indicated to connections that the filly was slow to get going but that the further she went the better she liked it, while the winning trainer stated: 'I didn't envisage winning off 55, but if she continues to show that she still has it we will go for another'.

Willie Mullins is a regular visitor to the track and he made another successful raid when taking the Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap with the Ballylinch Stud home-bred, 'Phantasy Rock', at 4/1 favourite. Ridden by Eddie Linehan, the four-year-old daughter of 'Rock Of Gibraltar', who had won previously at Killarney, took it up three furlongs from home and stayed on in a tight finish. Mullins was anxious to highlight the ride of Linehan who he said 'was making a name for himself and quietly working out his claim'. Indications are that the filly will try to win again either at Galway or Clonmel.

The concluding race went to the Co. Armagh yard of Paddy Collins with the six-year-old 'Beneficial' mare, 'Tear Drops', at 7/1. This race was a really good bumper with five previous winners taking each other on, but the bouquet for ride of the day must go to Jason McKeown who really excelled with his ride here.

RESULTS

Gorey Race (two miles): 1, M.A. Ryan, Myrine (K.J. Manning); 2, Moyglare Stud, Easy Mate (P.J. Smullen); 3, P.J. O'Donovan, Fosters Cross (J.P. O'Brien). Dist.: ten ls., three and a half ls.; five ran.

Rocklands Service Station Handicap (two miles): 1, O Finetto, The Buck (S.H. James); 2, M. Byrne, King Of Redfield (F.M. Berry); 3, P. Casey, Fascinating Paddy (O. Casey). Dist.: neck, one and a half ls.; 13 ran.

Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden (one mile, half a furlong): 1, D. Smith, Luxurious (J.P. O'Brien); 2, M. Tabor, Poinsettia (J.A. Heffernan); 3, J.S. Bolger, Riochas (K.J. Manning). Dist.: three and a half ls., four ls.; 12 ran.

Rosslare Handicap (one mile, half a furlong): 1, H. Mullins, Cristal Island (S.H. James); 2, G. Dolan, Star Links (L.F. Roche); 3, FAC Syndicate, Silly Dancer (C.D. Hayes). Dist.: one length, neck; ten ran.

Derrinstown Stud Apprentice Handicap (one mile, three and a half furlongs): 1, Ballylinch Stud, Phantasy Rock (E.D. Linehan); 2, T. Kavanagh, Green To Gold (J.P. O'Brien); 3, M. Halford, Odin's Raven (C.P. Hoban). Dist.: three-quarters of a length, neck; 16 ran.

ITBA (Southeast) Supporting Wexford Maiden (one mile, three and a half ls.): 1, J. Magnier, Quest For Gold (S.M. Levey); 2, H Al Maktoum, Alburj (P.J. Smullen); 3, J.S. Bolger, Star Power (K.J. Manning). Dist: three-quarters of a length, half a length; 14 ran.

Enniscorthy Mares INHS Flat Race (two miles): 1, K. Mc Donnell, Tear Drops (J.P. McKeown); 2, H. Carter, Apt Manor (P.W. Mullins); 3, C.W. Carty, Benefique (P.G. Murphy). Dist.: head, one length; ten ran.