Doonard Prince (nearest) gets the better of Sophies Echo © Photo Healy Racing
Doonard Prince prevailed in a tight finish to the second division of the seven-furlong handicap at Dundalk. Sophies Echo looked set to give Rory and Tom Cleary a quick double on the card when cruising into the lead a furlong-and-a-half out.
She was tackled on her outer by Doonard Prince over a furlong out, however, and that rival just got on top in the closing stages under Michael Cleere.
He had a head to spare at the line while Mea Parvitas finished well just a neck back in third. Khelino who had held every chance inside the final furlong was a length-and-a-quarter behind in fourth.
The 9/1 winner had run well on a couple of occasions at the track and was making the breakthrough on his ninth career outing.
It was a first winner at Dundalk for trainer Liz Doyle:-
“We only have two for the Flat at the moment. We've been waiting on good ground and to be honest we nearly gave up because of the weather but we decided to wait for Dundalk.
“He's a typical Footstepsinthesand in that he wants good ground. The last few times here we've been drawn in Belfast!
“It's a real home-bred success. In fact the dam won for the owners about ten years ago.”
The dam Fly Haia won a five-furlong maiden at Punchestown in 2002 and followed that up in a Cork handicap over the minimum trip the following year.
(Additional reporting by Alan Magee)
