Hassett strikes on Annie's Angel

The opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden was the most valuable event on Galway's eight-race Flat card and Joseph O'Brien sent out the first, third and fourth with Annie's Angel (7/1) coming out on top under apprentice title contender Wayne Hassett.

Fifth on debut at Thurles earlier in the month, the grey daughter of Dark Angel was soon settled in third and Hassett produced her to challenge in the straight. The front-running Permission Tospeak didn't go down without a fight but Annie's Angel edged ahead in the final 100 yards to score by a neck.

Hassett is now level with James Ryan on 31 winners for the season and the pair are two ahead of Adam Caffrey in an absorbing three-way tussle to be champion apprentice. 

A delighted owner/breeder Brendan Geraghty said: "To do that on only her second run, and on testing conditions, we are over the moon. She is exciting, we are blessed to have her and the mare is at home and in foal to Supremacy. This filly's sister Mayo For Sam is actually running in the last race today.

"She will go on holidays for the rest of the season and see what Joseph wants to do then.

"I'm from just down the road in Shrule, Co Mayo and we're living in Tipperary. This is our first winner in Galway so it is brilliant, as my father had winners here many years ago with Bobs Pride, who was a good dual purpose horse for Dermot Weld back in the day."

Quotes from Tom Weekes