Johnathon Burke aboard Izabelle Amie comes back into the parade ring with connections© Photo Healy Racing
The Jimmy Mangan trained Izabelle Amie took the last at Limerick this afternoon, division two of the Greenmount Conference Centre Mares Bumper under Jonathon Burke (second career win for the son of trainer Liam Burke).
The 4yo daughter of Croco Rouge was having just her second career start today after finishing a good third on her debut at Tipperary last month behind Glens Melody.
After racing at the rear of mid-division early on she closed to track the leaders approaching three furlongs out.
She was second before the straight and challenged the leader Queen Of The Hill from the two furlong pole.
She kept on best from there to lead near the finish and score by just a neck at the line.
Queen Of The Hill, who was backed from 16/1 this morning into her starting price of 7/1, had to settle for second under Mikey O’Connor for Tom Cooper while the 6/4 favourite Dani Catalonia was a further six and a half lengths back in third under Patrick Mullins for his father Willie.
The winner was returned at just 3/1 having been well backed on course from her opening show of 7/1.
Winning trainer Jimmy Mangan said afterwards: "Jane (his daughter Jane Mangan) is riding in Sweden on Tuesday and she went today. Only for that she would have rode her. It is an Arab race and she is hoping to go on to Abu Dhabi in November."
He went on to talk about the winner and said: "She came on well from her first run and she did a nice bit of work during the week.
"She is quite well bred and is from the family of Buckhouse."
After the race the Stewards suspended Mikey O’Connor, rider of the runner-up Queen Of The Hill, for two days for using his whip with excessive frequency, hitting his mount above the shoulder and not giving his mount sufficient time to response. The matter was also referred on to RACE.
Meanwhile the Stewards cautioned winning rider Johnathon Burke to ride with more care in the future.
(On-course reporting by Alan Magee)
