Recent €165,000 Auctav Online Sale purchase Go Athletico got off the mark at his first attempt for the team while staying on strongly to land the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Midsummer Sprint Stakes under Ronan Whelan for owners Team Valor & Shamrock Thoroughbreds at Cork on 16th June last.

Having broken steadily from the gates, the Goken gelding raced prominently over on the far side before Ronan asked for an effort 2 furlongs out to close down on leader Harmony Rose who he headed at the furlong pole and went on to win comfortably to score by 2 lengths from Ano Syra.
Speaking afterwards, Ado said, “He was pointed out to Stephen when he was in an online French sale and I don’t think his trainer wanted to lose him at the time. Stephen rang Barry Irwin of Team Valor and Jimmy Fairhurst and he was bought and I’m delighted for them.

I knew by his work at home that he was a very smart horse and Ronan was very good on him and kept it simple. He has carried plenty weight today and has done it very easy.

We were glad there was juice in the ground and he is a great horse to have. We’ll enter him up in a few big sprint races in Ireland and we’ll have the Flying Five to look forward to at Champions Weekend at the end of the year.”