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- Hat-trick bid for Step tomorrow as Keane doubles-up
Donal Murphy
Hat-trick bid for Step tomorrow as Keane doubles-up
A Step Too Far (right) is ridden out by Colin Keane to beat That's Mad
© Photo Healy Racing
A Step Too Far followed-up on her win at Naas last month as she claimed the Fast Shipping Hill Sprint Handicap, completing a double on the card for Colin Keane (earlier successful on Ecliptical).
Previously trained by Peter Fahey, the daughter of Footstepsinthesand filled the runner-up spot on her first two outings for Kieran Cotter, before making the breakthrough on her fourteenth career start at Naas.
Expected to win again today, the four-year-old went off the 2/1 favourite (from 3s) in the colours of owner Sinead Dunne.
Soon in front, the bay victor made all and kept on well when ridden a furlong and a half from home, going on to hold off the challenge of That's Mad by half a length.
The runner-up was returned at 11/1 under Mikey Sheehy for Leanne Breen, while the Adrian McGuinness trained Pillar (6/1) was four lengths back in third.
A Step Too Far is declared to run in the www.ratoathvets.ie Handicap over the course and distance tomorrow and Cotter later revealed: "We were in two minds whether to turn out tomorrow but we surely will now. She put up a good performance there.
"I was just a bit afraid of the ground but I walked it earlier and didn't think it was too bad. If it was good ground they wouldn't see which way she went here as she has a load of boot.
"She's improving all the time and every run she has got that bit better."
Additional reporting by Alan Magee