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- Bite provides O'Donovan with first win
Donal Murphy
Bite provides O'Donovan with first win
Dont Kick Nor Bite comes from last to first under Stephen O'Donovan
© Photo Healy Racing
Dont Kick Nor Bite came from last to first to land the finale at Cork, the Cork & Waterford Mares Point-to-Point Flat Race, providing her rider Stephen O'Donovan with his first racecourse win.
Successful on her debut at Templenacarriga in January, the daughter of Beneficial finished a decent fourth to Consharon Boy on her racecourse debut at Gowran earlier this month.
Having started at 9/4 last night she drifted out to an opening show on-course of 9/2, going off a 4/1 chance in the colours of the All The T's Syndicate.
Settled in rear she took closer order as they left the back, improving through the field for pressure in the home straight, and hitting the front a furlong and a half from home.
She kept on well inside the final furlong, going on to score by two and a quarter lengths. Marienstar (16/1) finished second under Jane Mangan for Gerard O'Keeffe, while Nicat's Benefit (28/1) was a further four lengths back in third under Liz Lalor. Take A Twirl was sent off the well-backed 13/8 favourite (4's last night and from 9/4 on-course) and she finished a further two and a half lengths back in fourth under Pa Collins for Terence O'Brien.
Robert Tyner said afterwards: "She won her point to point well but was too free at Gowran and Stephen was adamant he wanted to drop her in today.
"She has a lot of class but I think she'd prefer a bit of better ground. She'll run next in the Fillies Sales Bumper at Punchestown."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes