Fruit Blossoms for Donoghue

Fruit Blossom gained a deserved victory when running out a convincing winner of the mares handicap hurdle at Wexford.

The Gordon Elliott-trained mare had been placed on her previous three runs and made the breakthrough in good style today.

Keith Donoghue tracked the front-running Hot As Pepper in the two-and-a-half mile contest before sending his mount on turning for home.

The daughter of Yeats was soon in control and kept on well in the closing stages to post a four-and-a-half length winning margin at odds of 11/2.

10/3 favourite Presenting Doyen came through to claim the runner-up spot.

Donoghue said: “She had a couple of good runs and maybe she was a bit unlucky not to have won. I'd say the cheekpieces helped today and I had the perfect position during the race.

“I was getting a nice lead and she was jumping and travelling, she done it well. I knew she would be doing her best work late, judging by her last two runs.

“When we came off the bend into the straight I wanted to let her roll on. She is a grand mare, a good jumper and should give the lads (the Barstool Prophets Syndicate) plenty of fun over the summer. She will win over fences and I'd say she will get three miles no problem. I'll leave it up to Gordon and Ryan (McElligott) and they will find the right races for her.”

(Quotes by Donal Murphy)