Girl gets a third win to her name

Hodd's Girl got a third career win to her name in the Crowne Plaza Hotel Dundalk Handicap.

The Mick Halford trained grey won at the venue in December of last year, following-up on her next start at the Co Louth circuit.

Fourth on her most recent outing at Naas, the Zebedee four-year-old was sent off a 7/1 chance under Mikey Sheehy.

Settled behind the leaders on the outer, she was ridden to challenge from the furlong pole and kept on best in the closing stages to prevail by a neck. Parkers Hill was the one just denied, with Ben Coen aboard this 6/1 chance for Leanne Breen. Sabrina Fairchild (12/1) was another three-parts of a length away in third, while the well-backed Woodrow (11/2 to 10/3f) finished fourth.

Halford, who trains the winner for the Rocky Horror Partnership, said: "She likes the surface and showed a spark in Naas recently. She’s probably just better on this surface than the grass for some reason.

"She had a couple of messy starts but wasn’t always like that. She jumped awkwardly one day in Tipperary and it sort of frightened her for a while. We pull a hood off her now and she broke well today.

"She handled going six furlongs well so we'll tip away."

STEWARDS REPORT

C.T. Keane, rider of Breakfast Club (GB) trained by James McAuley, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount did not move well or handle the track.

Additional reporting by Alan Magee