Sunchart finally strikes Devoy gold

Third time lucky for Slattery-trained runner at Naas.

Andrew Slattery’s Sunchart finally had his moment when landing the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Devoy Stakes at Naas.

The runner up in the race in both 2021 and 2023, the seven-year-old was last seen at the Curragh in November and was returning to action after a winter break.

Under Andrew Slattery jnr, the trainer’s son, he started at 5-1 as he attempted to go one better than previous efforts.

This time he was well able to get his head in front, finding himself with an easy lead two furlongs from home before pulling further and further clear of the field to cross the line six and a half lengths ahead.

“The horses deserved it more than any of us. Pat (Garvey, owner) has had great perseverance with him and it’s great that he’s kept going,” the trainer said.

“He was always a very good horse and he likes this track. He likes going left-handed and likes soft ground.

“He’s been a hard horse to place and we maybe aimed a bit high at times as well.

“He always had the ability, he was second in this last year and was barely beaten at Leopardstown in a Listed race (Trigo Stakes).

“People were doubting him for being doggy but he’s not, he’s just a horse that has had a lot of problems.

“It was just about getting him right on the day and today he was right.”

Sunchart was fourth in the Ormonde Stakes at Chester last season and could return to the meeting if conditions are suitable.

Slattery added: “I don’t think there is much coming up for him, the ground is the big thing. He might go back to Chester if the ground was soft, he ran well when fourth in the Ormonde Stakes last year.”

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