Red and black Pat Smullen aboard A Shin Kildare beats Eavesdrop and Seamie Heffernan© Photo Healy Racing
"She battled away well. The ease in the ground was a big help as at Leopardstown it was too quick," said Pat Smullen after A Shin Kildare came good on her fourth outing to win the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Fillies Maiden at Roscommon.
Ballydoyle's supposed second string, Eavesdrop (6/1), gave Dermot Weld's A Shin Kildare most to do, but the pace-setter eventually had to yield by a length.
Aidan O'Brien 's other runner, Hibiscus (11/8 favourite) ended up eight and a half lengths off them in third.
"We've always thought she was well capable of winning a maiden and the mile-and-a-half and ease in the ground helped today," added Smullen.
"I liked the way she put her head down in the last furlong. Hopefully she can progress and go on and win a handicap."
The Stewards fined T.Hogan, trainer, €350 for lodging a passport in respect of Powerbird in which the vaccinations did not conform with the provisions of Rule 91. The Stewards allowed the horse to run on receipt of the trainer's written assurance that the vaccinations were in order.
(GC & EM)
