Dallas Star shocks Ballysax rivals with 50-1 strike

Odds-on favourite Illinois no match for cosy winner.

Dallas Star caused a 50-1 upset in the P.W. McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown.

The Amo Racing-owned winner finished nine lengths behind Charlie Appleby’s Derby candidate Arabian Crown in a Group Three at Newmarket in the autumn when trained by Dominic French Davis.

Switched to Adrian Murray over the winter, the Cloth Of Stars colt was sent into an early lead under Seamie Heffernan but had to battle back after Deepone struck the front.

Dallas Star handled the testing ground well, regaining the initiative in the straight to gallop home three lengths clear of Aidan O’Brien’s The Euphrates, whose stablemate and odds-on favourite Illinois was only third.

“We were on a mission today to see how we were going or where we were going to go next,” said Murray.

“He kept finding for him. Twice during the race I thought he was done for and he kept coming back.

“I never thought I’d see the day where we would be competing in the same race as Aidan O’Brien.

“I was so near to packing it in a few years ago and it’s amazing the way things can turn around. The horses are very healthy and that is a big thing.

“He’ll be entered in all the big races now I suppose and we’ll see where we go. I’ll have to chat to Kia (Joorabchian, owner) and Robson (Aguiar, part of the Amo team) and see where they want to go.

“He came to us over the winter.”

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