Keeping the faith proves profitable for Paloma backers

A 20/1 winner at Dundalk on her penultimate start in November and returning to action after seven months off, Miss Paloma (16s into 10s on the show) landed the 1m4f handicap under Robyn Donaghue-Leahy.

The daughter of Sea The Moon, trained by Henry de Bromhead for Jamie Lawson Maher, raced handily and led early in the straight. A couple of lengths clear racing to the final furlong, the six-year-old was pursued by Avondale in the closing stages but that one never quite looked like getting on terms and was half a length adrift at the line.

This was a third winner for Donaghue-Leahy whose claim will now be reduced to 7lb.

The winning rider said: "To be honest, she probably brought herself there as she was travelling very well.

"Ideally, I'd have liked to have had a bit of cover but, at the same time, we went such a good gallop that she settled away.

"She probably hit the front a bit soon, she was just travelling so well that I just let her stride away.

"She was very good there, she was very fresh but she ran well off a long layoff the last time as well. I was never doubting her fitness or anything like that.

"I'm in with Henry twice a week Tuesday's and Friday's. He has been very good to me ever since I went down there. He gets me to ride a lot of work with a lot of stalls. It is great to pay him back with a winner like this."

Quotes from Michael Graham