Lantry Lady defied a near year-long absence when maintaining her unbeaten record today, landing Gowran's Red Mills Trial Hurdle on her second start for trainer Henry De Bromhead and jockey Rachael Blackmore.

The Grade 3 contest had been won previously by top performers Hardy Eustace, Newmill, Solwhit and Un De Sceaux and while today's five-runner race lacked strength-in-depth, Lantry Lady (13/8) fought off principal rival What's Up Darling (11/10f) to score by 9.5 lengths in testing conditions.

Out of a half-sister to Champion Hurdle winner Annie Power, Lantry Lady was later cut by bookmakers Paddy Power to 20/1 (from 33s) for Cheltenham's mares' novice hurdle next month.

De Bromhead reported “she’s entered in the Mares Hurdle at Cheltenham and we’d love to go. It’s a step up in trip but all she does is stay. I’d say she definitely wants a good ease in the ground so we would be cautious of that but the guys would love to go to Cheltenham and I think she is entitled to go.

“She’s obviously a really nice mare and I’m delighted for the Marigas (owners) who are great supporters of ours.

“She was impressive winning her maiden hurdle here last year and then we put her away as she was a bit immature. She’s had a couple of niggles so it’s taken us a while to get her going again and I was concerned about fitness and it was only her second run.

“She’s confirmed what she did in her maiden hurdle and has stepped forward again. She’s a lovely mare to go breeding with in years to come.”

Quotes from Alan Magee