My Design, far side, has too much for Pont Aval© Photo Healy Racing
Kieren Buckley took the riding plaudits after My Design made a winning start over fences in the opening mares' beginners' chase at Clonmel.
This former point-to-point winner had been competing in graded company over hurdles since Christmas, without being outclassed, and clearly schooling over the bigger obstacles had gone well as she was supported from 13/8 to 6/5 favourite.
She lobbed along at the front, but was closed upon by Pont Aval (drifter from 15/8 to 5/2) on the approach to the home straight.
Pont Aval was first to come off the bridle, however, it was My Design who got the penultimate fence wrong and Buckley did well to sit and get the partnership back into stride without losing momentum.
The race looked to be there for Pont Aval, but My Design found more approaching the last and kept on best along the run-in to beat her rival by two and a half lengths. Bay Ambition couldn't go with the front two from the second-last and came in third at 9/2.
Trainer Declan Queally said: "Kieren is a very good rider and got her into nice rhythm, but when you're on the inside around here it is like a rollercoaster. You're often going too fast to the second last, which can catch out horses and we were lucky.
"She has won a maiden hurdle (at Fairyhouse) and a beginners' chase, so will now be covered and raced for another three months. Fiona (O'Connor) likes breeding horses, she has three snippets of black-type over hurdles, so we'll look for black-type over fences now as she is related to a lot of winners."
Additional reporting by Tom Weekes
