The four-year-old, unraced for Godolphin, cost just €3,000 when bought at the sales by Hilltop Racing.

The gelding suffered a fatal injury on the gallops this morning while training. He was due to run in the Rathasker Stud Phoenix Stakes at The Curragh this weekend.

Sceptical won four races in a row, including the Listed Woodlands Stakes at Naas, before finishing a close third to Hello Youmzain and Dream Of Dreams in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The son of Exceed And Excel, rated 116, last ran in the July Cup at Newmarket, where he finished runner-up to Oxted.

Denis Hogan, who retired from race riding last week during the Galway Races in order to concentrate on his training career, announced the news via his Twitter account this morning, stating:

“We have been dealt a devastating cruel blow at Boherna this morning with the loss of our superstar sprinter Sceptical. He was a horse of a lifetime and a game changer for my training career and everyone at Boherna.”

Sceptical’s owners paid tribute to him, saying:

“He was an amazing horse for us and we’ll remember all the great days we enjoyed with him.”

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Hours earlier, Hogan’s stable star, Sceptical, had run an excellent race in finishing third in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, her first effort at the highest level.

Now, however, the Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary, handler seems to have another star on his hands, having lifted the valuable prize at the Co. Kildare track.

Make A Challenge clearly relished the drop down to five furlongs, and travelled powerfully in the main group as My Laureate set the pace on her own on the rail. When jockey Joe Doyle asked the eventual winner for her effort, Make A Challenge put distance between himself and the remainder of the field to claim a two and a half lengths success from Flash Gordon (later placed third) and Rapid Reaction (promoted to second).

The winner, a €6,500 purchase, may now target the Group 2 Greenlands Stakes over six furlongs at The Curragh next weekend.

In the Listed Plusvital Irish EBF Polonia Stakes, Lady Penelope (11/1) completed a Joseph O’Brien double as Capel At Dawn (20/1) had earlier taken the Abbey Electrical Services Celebrate Handicap under Dylan Browne McMonagle.

Sussex Garden (4/1) gave Jessica Harrington some domestic success, to go with the later victory of Alpha Star in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot, when winning the Free Eagle Irish EBF Fillies’ Maiden, ahead of 6/4 favourite Hazel.

There was more success for trainer Johnny Murtagh as his incredible winning form continues. Shane Kelly gave Kosman (15/2) a smart ride from the front to take the Sobac Soil Health Call Tom Stapleton From Soil.ie Handicap.

Thank You To The HSE & Frontline Handicap saw Damian English’s Mokhalad (13/2) win at Naas for the third time despite having run over five furlongs at Tipperary just 24 hours earlier.

The Johnny Levins-trained Prisoner’s Dilemma (18/1) took the Sobac Healthy Soil Healthy Animal Handicap, while Aidan O’Brien, who was out of luck at Royal Ascot today, saw his Military Style (100/30) take the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (C&G) Maiden from 2/1f Eastern Voice.

Credit: Photo of Make A Challenge and Joe Doyle taken by Caroline Norris, and provided by Horse Racing Ireland.

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