Dame Dandy makes breakthrough in Ballybrit

Jim Bolger's Dame Dandy showed her mettle, in first-time cheekpieces, off the front in the juvenile fillies' maiden at Galway.

She brought plenty of experience into battle with two runner-up finishes banked from five runs.

Kevin Manning sent her into an early lead and dictated throughout. The pair were there to be shot at approaching the final quarter of a mile but they kept toughing it out. Royal Blend kept on in second in the latter stages, but by then Dame Dandy had made the best way home at 9/4.

Royal Blend was the 15/8 favourite but was beaten a length and three quarters by the winner. Sheer Chance was three parts of a length back in third at 9/2.

“She’s been knocking on the door and she was very tenacious and stuck at it well there,” said Una Manning.

“Hopefully the handicapper will be sympathetic now and it’ll be the nursery route for her.

“We’re just delighted for Colm, Patricia and Shane (O’Rourke, the winning owners).”

Additional reporting by Eamonn Murphy