Mammy Annie opens account under rules

Tell Me Annie gained compensation for an unlucky reverse at Cork last time when readily justifying prohibitive odds in the National Student Raceday Mares Maiden Hurdle at Limerick.

The very lightly-raced nine-year-old, twice successful in points, was clear when falling at the last on Easter Sunday at Cork and was backed at all odds-on rates here to gain compensation.

The 30/100 favourite stretched her rivals over half a mile out, and was in command in the straight to beat Sweetlight d’Oroux by a facile 15 lengths. Torquay was a further 14 lengths back in third, with Granny Maura catching the eye staying on in fourth.

Winning trainer Declan Queally's son and namesake said, "She was very unlucky the last day in Cork and it is nice to win for her pedigree as she has already had a foal. There's a mares' listed novice in Punchestown and she'll get an entry in that and that'll be the plan.

"When she was younger, she wasn't really ready for racing and it was probably my fault as she ran in a schooling race and I told her owners (Eileen O'Mahony and her brother Neil) she was no good. When he (Neil) decided to put her back in training I actually laughed at him!

"He rang me, this was after she had a foal as a seven-year-old, and said he'd put Annie back in training and I started laughing at him but she has codded me twice!

"There's a good story going with her now as she was near the factory but is back now. She'll be a grand mare to go jumping with and hopefully she can get black-type, because she can jump."

(TW & AM)