Long time between drinks for Kenneally as Empors Sword obliges

The Kilsheelan (Mares) Maiden Hurdle went the way of Empor Sword (12/1) who led turning for home and stayed on well after the last to hold the 5/2 favourite Champagne Diva by a length and a quarter. Where’s Bunny (7/2) was a further three and three quarter lengths back in third.

The homebred winning daughter of Oscar had been out of action for over two years before her fourth place finish at Tramore in August and she came forward from that run to win in the hands of 7lb claiming amateur Darragh Allen, whose only previous winner had come in a bumper at Cork last year.

It was a first winner in ten years for Kilworth, Co.Cork trainer Desmond Kenneally (whose last success had also been in a bumper at Cork when Letterofapproval scored in July 2010) and he remarked: "Her mother (Collou) won a bumper in Mallow and this is great.

"She was a very hard mare to keep right but we eventually got her right and I knew there was a race in her.

"I'm only a small-time trainer, I only have about three in training and we'll probably look for a handicap next.

"Darragh (Allen) is my neighbour, is a good friend and his brother Sean helps me out every day - it's great."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes