No divine intervention required for well-drawn Briar in Kingdom

BALLYMAC BRIAR made full use of his favourite inside draw to run right away from his rivals in the €5,000 Eric Browne Memorial Kingdom Derby over 525 yards at Tralee.

Sent off marginal second favourite at 7/4 behind 13/8 Epic Boy, the Juvenile Derby third soon hit the front on the inside and, as his rivals jostled for position, built an unassailable load.

Clear into the back straight, he went on to score by seven and a half lengths from outsider Jim By Two in posting 28.13sec, the joint fifth-fastest winning time of the year.

The winner is trained by Liam Dowling for Father Maurice Brick with Dowling telling the Racing Post: “He’s a lovely dog with a fine turn of early speed and wants the inside draw so the opportunity was there for him and thankfully he took it.

“His owner is a priest and I’d say there was a few of the congregation there cheering him on so it was nice to win it.”