No Niki No with trainer Eoghan O'Neill, his children Luke and Sophie, and jockey Declan McDonogh © Photo Healy Racing
Eoghan O'Neill secured his first winner in Ireland, since returning home after a long spell training in France, when No Niki No prevailed in the fillies' and mares' handicap at Leopardstown.
A mile and one was the trip on offer and jockey Declan McDonogh had an early fright when No Niki No, who had just picked up the lead, ducked right at the road by the seven pole.
After this, McDonogh slowed the pace down and allowed his mount to get into her stride.
They dictated the pace from there and kicked on approaching the final furlong. Those lengths she took out of the pack stood to her as she was able to fend off a staying on 5/2 favourite Yokkell by a length and a-quarter. Operatic Artist (9/1) was beaten the same distance into third.
O'Neill said: “She jumped the road and Declan said he was nearly a goner, but we got away with it!”
“She's a good, solid filly, she's improved with age and that's the seventh time she's won. She's hardy, tough and sound.
“She always needs her first run every year and then she performs to her level.
“She's in a seven furlong fillies' handicap at the Curragh on Derby weekend, so we'll see. We wanted to get the first one out of the way and we're delighted.
“We have 28 in at the moment, we cleared a few out when we got here as we brought a few over we shouldn't have.
“We have a mixture at the moment - we struggled to buy yearlings last year, so I kept some nice fillies that we can sell. They'll be coming out in due course.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
