Dashing Lady just holds on from Corporate Box at Killeagh© Photo Healy Racing
Enda Bolger's Festive Affair (closely related to 18-time winner, Merry Gale) is undoubtedly a name to remember after his win at Killeagh last Sunday whilst Dashing Lady's success in the opening ITBA/Tattersalls 5-y-o Mares' Maiden was notable on a few fronts.
Firstly she's owned by Anthony Kearns and Ronan Tynan, members of the famous singing Irish Tenors group, and she's trained by Donnchadh Doyle, in double form at Tinahely the previous week and of course closely associated with Monbeg Dude.
The Ballindaggin, County Wexford man helped launch the Colin Bowe-trained Monbeg Dude 'between the flags' and that Nenagh 2010 winner hit a career high-point recently when triumphing in the Coral Welsh National. Rugby star and husband to Zara Phillips, Mike Tindall famously bought Monbeg Dude for twelve thousand at Brightwells, shortly after his point-to-point victory.
Anyway back to Dashing Lady. She was making amends for a Boulta fall back in November, just holding on here by a neck from the very promising first-timer Corporate Box. Pat Collins was in the plate on the Black Sam Bellamy winner and she earned a 1,000 Euro bonus for landing this event. That prize-money boost was sponsored by ITBA and Tattersalls.
Elsewhere, Final Gift (back from Paul Nicholls and handled currently by John Costello) has always been a well-touted name and he'll surely make his mark now in hunter chase company judged on his win in the Fogarty Car Sales Geldings' Winners Of Two. That success was part of a three-timer for Derek O'Connor, also on the mark on Soaring High (Robert Tyner) and Cute Court (Denis Ahern). (EM)
