Evening Blossom (right) holds Vivienda © Photo Healy Racing
The 11/4 favourite Evening Blossom built on last month's maiden victory at Gowran when claiming the Dublin To Bahrain (Fillies) Handicap under Dylan Browne McMonagle.
Racing in third from early on, the market leader was angled out from the inner early in the straight and soon moved into contention. Hitting the front inside the final furlong, she fended off the challenge of Vivienda by a neck.
Joseph O'Brien, who sent out a double at Killarney's jumps fixture, trains the three-year-old for Brian Dolan and said: "It was a nice performance and she came on well from the last day.
“She has threatened to be a nice filly but for one reason or another it has taken her a few runs this year to get it all together. Hopefully she can continue to progress now.
“Being an Australia, we saw her as being a ten or 12 furlong-type filly earlier in the year but I think it's pretty evident that a mile is a good trip for her now. A stiff mile and an even pace.
“I take a bit of the blame for getting her wrong at the start of the season in that regard.
“There is a nice (new) handicap here on Champions Weekend for fillies but I don't know if she'll get in. If she did, she might go there.”
Quotes from Gary Carson
