Dun Na Sead bounced out smartly under Oisin McSweeney before making all the running to land the opening Ladies Day At Dundalk Handicap.

A winner on the turf at Down Royal on her most recent start, the Kieran Cotter trained filly had been expected to face a stiffer task here, given the presence of two other confirmed front runners.

However, given her prowess from the stalls, the Kildare Racing Syndicate owned four-year-old was never headed, keeping on strongly inside the final furlong to win with something in hand. Dontspoilasale and Harry's Bar briefly looked a threat over a furlong out but once McSweeney asked his mount to quicken, she found an extra gear and went away to win by two-and-a-half lengths.

Kieran Cotter said: "When she won her maiden first time out in the Curragh, we thought we had a stakes horse and then everything went wrong.

"Even this year, she is only just coming to hand. We thought last week she was never ever better. They say sprinters get better with age and she is probably proof of it now.

"She had a lot of trouble with her feet and she had two wind operations as well. It has all come together now, eventually.

"She has so much speed she takes a bit of pegging back.

"I don't know where we go after here, we will have to have a close look at the programme and see. She obviously handles the all-weather very well.

"The lads were giving out when she got 8lb the last day, I think they can forget about that!"

Additional reporting by Michael Graham