Loreto a popular winner

It was hardly any great surprise that Jim Bolger would have Loreto ready to run for her life in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Fillies Handicap at Listowel.

Denis Brosnan's son Cathal owns the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor and despite the fact that she was giving the impression that she was keeping an eye on the crowd, the three-year-old stayed on gamely to beat Cheval Rouge by two lengths.

Kevin Manning rode the 9/2 joint favourite and here she was adding to a Naas maiden win achieved in July.

Ger Flynn, representing Bolger, said: "She had to work hard for it. Kevin said the ground is very very heavy but she is gutsy and genuine.

"She was a bit unlucky at Killarney. She was slow away and just failed to get there so this makes up for it.

"It's nice to get a winner for the Brosnans in their home county." (DM & EM)