Lyons & Keane take the opener with Velveteen Velveteen followed-up on her encouraging debut performance at Naas, as she took the opener at the Curragh, the QIPCO EBF Fillies Maiden. The Ger Lyons trained daughter of Exceed And Excel finished sixth to Roly Poly at Naas, and had subsequent Royal Ascot winner Brave Anna behind her in eighth. Having opened at 6/1 on-course today, the Qatar Racing Limited owned bay came in for some market support, going off a 9/2 chance. Prominent throughout under Colin Keane, she was ridden and held a definite advantage with less than two furlongs to race. She was kept up to her work inside the final furlong, coming home with half a length to spare The 4/1 favourite Hunaina finished second under Shane Foley for Mick Halford, while Mur Hiba, who was 66/1 last night and returned at 9's, was a head back in third under Kevin Manning for Michael O'Callaghan. Ger Lyons said afterwards: "She's a nice little filly and we have been waiting on the ground. It's nice to win and also with Sheikh Fahad (of Qatar Racing Limited) sponsoring the race. "Every time we had her ready the ground was soft, and even yesterday it would not have suited. There is very little of her, and it was a brave performance from a bad draw (stall one). "We will try to get a stakes race for her, and I don't imagine we will be looking at her as a three-year-old." Additional reporting by Alan Magee
