Donagh Meyler guides Queen Nel over the last© Photo Healy Racing
Queen Nel brought up plenty of bets in landing the Best Of Luck To The Irish (Mares) Maiden Hurdle in Gowran Park.
Jokers 'N' Clowns attempted to make all over the two-mile trip and held a nice cushion throughout, however, she began to tie up on the approach to the penultimate flight.
Queen Nel and Penelope's Charm were the closest pursuers and it was the former who got the measure of Jokers 'N' Clowns inside the final quarter of a mile.
One backhander from Donagh Meyler saw Queen Nel put daylight on Jokers 'N' Clowns at the last and she was pushed out on the run-in to win by a growing eight lengths.
Queen Nel was available at 28/1 in the morning and opened at 11/1 before going off at 7/1. Runner-up Jokers 'N' Clowns was a 5/2 chance and finished some 11 lengths clear of a weakening Penelope's Charm (13/2).
Trainer Ray Cody said: “It’s a nice surprise. She’s not the quickest, but you didn’t need to be on that ground today and she stayed galloping.
“It probably wasn’t the strongest race, but I’m delighted with her and she’s a homebred.
“She can go up in trip on better ground and we might find a winners' race next for her.
“My nephew (Ray) rides her all the time at home, and he thought she was going better the last month.”
Queen Nel had been unplaced in a bumper and two maiden hurdles prior to today.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
