McDonogh brings up double as Candy downs favourite Declan McDonogh completed a double on the afternoon when partnering the Joseph O'Brien trained debutant Eyema Candy Girl to win the Now Racing Every Wednesday At Dundalk Maiden. Successful on Finsceal Annie earlier on the card, the former champion jockey had to be strong before eventually getting his mount home in front of odds-on favourite Lady Pagasa. With original market leader Beatrix Potter a non-runner, the race appeared to present the Johnny Murtagh trained Lady Pagasa with a golden opportunity to register a first career success. Intact on making this a proper test of stamina given that his mount was dropping back to sprinting, Colin Keane bounced out to make all on the grey filly. Those tactics appeared to have succeeded early in the straight, as McDonogh got lower in the saddle on newcomer Eyema Candy Girl. However, with Lady Pagasa unable to put the race to bed, the O'Brien trained filly stuck to her task well, leading well inside the final furlong to win by one-and-a-half-lengths. Declan McDonogh said: "She has only got one eye, but she did well and put herself in a nice spot. First-time out, with the left eye gone, she did well. "She wasn't getting the message up the straight - it wasn't just fully getting through to her, she will improve a lot. "She was born like that, so they don't know any different. It is the ones that lose them maybe give you a little bit of an issue. "She was a little bit green when I gave her the message and she wasn't sure. There was nothing on the outside and she could hear the one on the left (Lady Pagasa), but she couldn't see it. "She did well and I think she is a fine, big filly by Justify, and she will improve. "She was doing her best and I just wanted her to do it right. I knew Colin (Keane on Lady Pagasa) was cooked but, at the same time, it is a lonely place the last furlong when you're on your own especially the first time with one eye. "She didn't shirk it today and I liked her at the line, she was strong. I think an extra furlong would be no problem to her. "She might be one to look forward to next year." Additional reporting by Michael Graham.
