Toe The Line (pink) comes through to score under Derek O'Connor© Photo Healy Racing
Despite drifting in the market, Toe The Line made a winning debut in the last at Listowel, the Bank Of Ireland INH 4yo Flat Race, scoring under Derek O’Connor for John Kiely.
The daughter of Shantou was 6/1 this morning with Paddy Power, opening on-course at double those odds, before going off an 11/1 chance.
Having travelled towards the rear, the victorious bay filly made headway four furlongs out, and turning for home she travelled well in eighth.
When asked to challenge she went about her business nicely, hitting the front a furlong from home before keeping on well to score by a length. No Cash Flow (4/1 joint favourite) kept on well to take second under Paul Power for Henry De Bromhead, while Shantou Ed ran a fine race on his debut, finishing a further half a length back in third under Declan Queally for Peter Fahey at 25/1.
The Tom Cooper trained Hesbeengoodtome was well-backed on-course from 12/1 to 6/1, and he ran a fine race, finishing just out of the placings in fourth under Jane Mangan. Casey Ryback was the other joint-favourite, and he weakened quickly around five furlongs from home, finishing a distance behind in sixteenth under Katie Walsh for Tom Taaffe.
John Kiely said afterwards: "Alan (winning owner Alan Lillington) was my idol as a rider and an event rider when he was in his prime.
"He was a brilliant horseman and he won the Champion Hurdle on Winning Fair (in 1963).
"It is the first horse I’ve had for him. I’ve always liked her but I lost a bit of confidence last week as she didn’t work as well as she had before."
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
