The J.P. McManus owned Naughty But Nice was the nicely backed winner of the Kilkenny Handicap at Gowran today, winning narrowly for trainer Charles O'Brien and jockey Fran Berry.

The daughter of Yeats was backed from 10/1 generally this morning in to 11/2 at the off and in the end battled gamely for a head win over Zelos Dream

Afterwards O'Brien stated “it was a question of getting the right trip; she pulled too hard over 1m3f (at Limerick in April), although that might have been because it was her first run of the season, and she found a mile too sharp (on her previous run).

“She’s a half-sister to (stablemate) Stocktons Wing.”

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Alan Magee