Henry's Girl with owner/breeder Ranka Pollmeier© Photo Healy Racing
Three time flat winner Henry's Girl scored on her debut over flights, taking the third at Wexford, the [email protected] Mares Maiden Hurdle.
Successful at Tipperary last month, the daughter of Royal Anthem disappointed on her last two starts at Cork and Ballinrobe respectively.
As short as 11/4 last night, she opened on-course at 7/2, touching 5's, before going off a 4/1 chance in the colours of owner/breeder Ranka Pollmeier.
Settled in mid-division by Paul Townend, she was seventh with a circuit to race. She improved into third three out, and travelled strongly in second on the approach to the next.
She hit the front before the last, and was pushed out on the run-in to score by two and a half lengths. Rosshaven Lady was sent off the even money favourite and she finished second under Davy Russell for Joseph O'Brien. Emily Anna (7/1) completed the placings a further half a length back in third under Ambrose McCurtin for Dermot O'Brien.
John Kiely trains the winner and he said afterwards: "She was a little bit keen and she will have learned a lot from it. She will be a nice mare over hurdles.
"I think she had enough of the flat, she was disappointing in Ballinrobe but conditions were bad there.
"Paul Townend won the Galway Hurdle for me on Indian Pace (2008) when he was starting off, so we go back a long way.
"She will be a nice mare in novice hurdles now. She might go to Galway, we'll see."
