Dame Rapide and Daniel King © Photo Healy Racing
Dame Rapide a six-time winner on the Flat, took advantage of a good opportunity when landing the odds in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF (Mares) Maiden Hurdle at Ballinrobe.
The James Barrett-trained 4/7 shot travelled well to challenge at the final flight and was just shaken up by Daniel King on the run-in to assert for a three and a quarter length success. Lackaneen Mag kept on to take the runner-up spot with the front-running Zoomtime a further length and a quarter back in third.
Barrett said, "I'm happy with that. We'll have a look at the Irish Cesarewitch and probably let her off for the winter.
"She'll probably go back jumping in the spring. She wants good ground, that's as slow as she'd want it really, but she handled it well and did everything right
"She’ll be a nice filly again in the spring."
King added: "She was a little tight over the last but she was good and quick from the back of it and was good all the way to the line.
"I'd stick to this trip over hurdles for the time being but when she runs a few more times over them, I'd say she'll relax even better in her races and in time she'll get a little further."
Quotes by Mark Nunan
