Racing: On Call upsets odds

ON CALL continued her remarkable progress for Sir Mark Prescott and George Duffield when surprising the odds-on Ebadiyla in the Ballycullen Stakes at Leopardstown yesterday.

Closing on the front-running Geisha Girl approaching the final turn, On Call was soon in front in the straight and won by one and a half lengths.

Ebadiyla, conceding 24lb to the winner, started at 9-10 but her defeat did not shock her trainer, John Oxx. "She probably needed the run," he said. "She came to win her race, blew up and I am not too disappointed."

Prescott admitted that On Call, who started at 8-1, had run the race of her life. "We brought her here just to get placed in a Listed race, never dreaming she would beat a dual-Classic winner like Ebadiyla.

"Mrs Chris O'Reilly's racing manager James Kelly persuaded me we should let her have a crack at this one - I had a nice little race at Pontefract on Tuesday in mind myself," the trainer added.