Veronica Falls sheds her maiden tag

Veronica Falls out-battled Shes No Joke in the closing stages, to take the Hibernia Steel Ltd 3yo Maiden, under Pat Smullen for trainer Eddie Lynam. The daughter of Medicean ran well to finish third on her previous visit to Dundalk in October, but she since disappointed at Leopardstown and Tipperary. Back on the all-weather, she was sent off at 13/2 (was 8/1 this morning and touched 7s on-course) and she chased the leaders in the early stages. The Clipper Logistics Group Ltd owned filly then made headway in the early straight, hitting the front two furlongs out and keeping on well from there to score by three parts of a length. Shes No Joke, for Mark Fahey and Conor Hoban, had to settle for second at 5/2, while Keilogue ran well on her debut to take third, a further three and three parts of a length back under Danny Grant for George Kent at 12/1. Sariyfa went off the heavily backed 11/10 favourite (opened 9/4 on-course) but she could only manage a disappointing fourth under Declan McDonogh for Mick Halford. Pat Smullen said afterwards: "She found all the way to the line. She got a bit lonely in front but I was probably in front soon enough and she’ll get a bit further in time." The winner cost 14,000 Guineas as a yearling at Tattersalls in 2011 and she is a half-sister to Perennial who was Group 3 placed in the UK for Charles Hills. Additional reporting by Michael Graham