Show Of Stars winning under Billy Lee© Photo Healy Racing
Classic-entrant Show Of Stars rewarded sustained support throughout the day in the juvenile fillies' maiden in Dundalk.
The daughter of Showcasing was fourth on debut at Killarney last month and was backed from 6/4 to an SP of 8/13f for this juvenile fillies' maiden.
She broke well and Billy Lee soon had her tracking the leader Cerro Vanguardia Independent Expert moved through to almost get on terms with the leader racing to the five pole.
Show Of Stars set off in pursuit inside the final quarter of a mile and made good progress to hit the front coming to the furlong marker.
She was ridden to go on and win her race and kept up the gallop to beat main market rival Maeve Of Connaught (15/8) by a length and a quarter. Independent Expert came home third, beaten almost three lengths by the winner.
Trainer Paddy Twomey said: “I was hoping she'd do something like that.
“She had a good debut run in Killarney on ground she wouldn't have liked and all of ours come forward plenty from their first start. With natural improvement I was hoping something like that would happen.
“Johnny's (Murtagh) filly (Maeve Of Connaught) had good form and there were plenty in it with good form, I'd say she's a nice filly. She has good entries and I'd say she's entitled to have good entries.
“We'll start her in the easiest spot we can next year but I think she's good enough to run in stakes company, probably in an Oaks trial rather than a Guineas trial."
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
