Foley eyes move through grades for Colleen Danu

Colleen Danu built upon an encouraging sixth over a similar trip at this track last month to land the second split of the mares' handicap hurdle at Gowran Park.

This was her second start for Patrick Foley and she toughed it out by a length after being less than foot perfect at the last. She was backed down to 11/4 favourite. Rebelle Chaud ran a stormer in second at 66/1 and was two and a-quarter lengths ahead of a game It's Time Again (10/1) who came off the bridle some way out.

“We're happy with that and I'm delighted for the owners. She's a sister to Absolute Notions, so to get the win on the page was the main goal,” Foley said.

“Maybe we can get black-type down the line but we're still in the 80-95. She's going to stay improving, she's only five.

“She's not the biggest filly in the world but she'd very tough. Michael (O'Sullivan, jockey) said she was keen today, we don't overly work her because we want to try and keep condition on her.

“It seems to do work with her so we'll stay doing that going forward.

“We were delighted with her run here a month ago and this race was the plan since then. We said a two-and-a-half mile mares race here would be ideal.

“We entered her at Fairyhouse hoping to get balloted out but if we had got in we would have run on Tuesday. She did get balloted out, so we knew we had a good chance of getting in today and it's great it worked out.

“It's hard for Michael because you don't want to hit the front too early on her but you can't disappoint her either, you have to let her gallop.

“He said if he had jumped the last it wouldn't have been an issue but it was just one of those things. She's tough.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson