Miss Cognac takes the bumper for Meade & O'Hare Miss Cognac sent favourite backers home happy from Ballinrobe, as she claimed the concluding Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Flat Race. A good fourth on debut at Wexford, the Noel Meade trained four-year-old since finished second to Uisce Solas (who since followed-up at Tipperary) again at Bettyville Park. Well-fancied to make the breakthrough this evening, the Noel Meade trained Flemensfirth bay was sent off the 2/1 favourite under Mark O'Hare. Settled towards rear, she made good progress down the back straight and improved into a share of the lead with Skyace from the three furlong pole. She was ridden and had a good battle with that aforementioned rival in the home stretch, with a length and a quarter eventually separating them at the line. The runner-up was returned at 3/1 under Patrick Mullins (carrying two pounds overweight) for his father Willie, while the John Ryan trained Bonarc (9/1) was another eight and a half lengths back in third. "She's a grand mare. I fancied her today and so did Noel," said O'Hare. "The ground was quick enough for her. The race worked out fine, they went a good gallop early on and they all came back to her. "As the race went on she got more comfortable, found her feet and away she went at the end. She was strongest at the end." Additional reporting by Gary Carson
