Falcon Eight wins Comer Group International Loughbrown Stakes

Now eight years of age, Falcon Eight has been around the block but proved that the fire still burns brightly with a six and a half length victory over race favourite Echoes In Rain.

Dermot Weld's charge last came home with his head in front at the Curragh a little over 12 months ago although he only narrowly missed out in the Irish Cesarewitch at the same track in September.

Falcon Eight built on that performance after failing to fire on his first two starts of the season in the Chester Cup and at Royal Ascot.

Settled in behind the leaders by Chris Hayes, the pair gradually crept closer before taking up the running over one and a half furlongs out. Falcon Eight stayed on strongly to record an eighth career success.

Dermot Weld told irishracing.com: “He’s as tough as teak and was unlucky not to win the last two runnings of the Irish Cesarewitch, so he deserved a nice win here.

“He’s been a great dual-purpose servant and his full-sister Search For A Song won this race two years ago. It’s a possibility that he might go over hurdles at Leopardstown at Christmas or he might go to Dubai for the two-mile race.

“He has stacks of enthusiasm but he is a character.”

Speaking to racingtv.com Hayes added: "He felt great, moved brilliant going down to the start.

"We didn't go much of a gallop, he's a bit of a rogue, I grabbed him up out of the gates and started half pulling out and he travelled down into the straight. I didn't realise I won six lengths; I was probably harder on him than I should have been.

"But he enjoyed it and he's full of beans.

"He was unlucky in the Cesarewitch last year and again this year but he makes his own bad luck sometimes, he decides at halfway to drop the bridle and he can race a bit lazily but today he didn't, he travelled fierce strong.

"I don't get to ride him that often and I enjoyed that."

Vischio stars for Donohoe

Vischio (16/1) was a surprise winner of the Start Your Racing TV Free Trial Now Finale Stakes, providing trainer Dick Donohoe with the biggest success of his career in the process.

A winner twice already this season, Vischio progressed again to win the Listed contest despite appearing to have it all to do with a rating of just 88 with several rivals rated in three figures.

However, she was full of running when asked to quicken by Gary Carroll and was always holding the challenge of Helvic Dream.

“It’s absolutely brilliant for the syndicate involved — my cousin Michael and his sister Mag and the sons," said Donohoe to irishracing.com.

“She started off this spring and has been at nearly every Festival since. We thought she might not go on heavy ground and it’s better she’s got on heavy ground.

“You could see lately she was in brilliant form and she’s really strengthened. The races have taken nothing out of her.

“She had a bit to find on several horses in the race today but there is always a chance in an end of season race that horses may not run to form and there was a chance to sneak some black type.

“She was definitely going to be in the first three under two furlongs down but to win was a dream."

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