Well-bred Pious gets off the mark The well-bred Pious Alexander got off the mark in the opening Tipperary Racecourse Maiden, scoring comfortably under Pat Smullen for Eddie Lynam and owner Noel O'Callaghan. A good third on debut at the Curragh in June of last year, she disappointed on her seasonal debut at Cork in April, finishing third when sent off the odds-on favourite. She had no luck in running when tried in Listed company on her last start, but was expected to make the breakthrough today, going off the 8/13 market leader. After going right from the stalls she was settled towards rear by Smullen, making rapid progress from the two furlong pole to soon lead. She was ridden from the furlong marker and soon stretched clear, coming home with two lengths to spare over Sammyjade. The runner-up was returned at 4/1 under Seamie Heffernan for Mark Roper, while Lynam also saddled the third horse home, and that was Rosa Klebb who was returned at 10/1 (20s this morning and from 14s on-course). The winner is a half-sister to classy sprinter and now successful sire Dandy Man, while Queen Mary victor Anthem Alexander is another half-sister. Lynam said afterwards: "She's well bred and her half-sister (Anthem Alexander) won her maiden here and let's hope she can go on from it now. "She was always going to win her maiden but it's just how long it took a bad trainer to get her to win one. She's talented but is a bit like me in that she thinks too much! "I thought she was very unlucky the last day and to find another Listed race like that will be hard because the next Listed race on turf is here at the end of August and the next after that is on sand. We'll aim for black-type and she won't run in handicaps and we could travel abroad with her." Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
