Amen proves best in Listed mares contest Three jumped the last locked together in the feature event at Thurles this afternoon and it was Amen Kate who prove best to land Listed honours in the Boreen Belle Mares Novice Hurdle. The 6/5 favourite Korinthia travelled strongly to lead three from home but was strongly pressed turning for home in the two-miler. Salsinha and Amen Kate came to launch their challenges over the second-last and there was little to split the trio over the final flight. The Tom Cooper-trained Amen Kate found most on the run-in, for Jack Kennedy, to edge ahead and record a hard fought two-and-a-quarter length win over the favourite. There was another length-and-a-quarter back to Salsinha in third. Amen Kate, a 4/1 shot today, had blotted her copybook a touch when whipping around and unseating her rider at the start at Punchestown last time. The daughter of Grade 1 winner Augusta Kate proved straightforward this afternoon as she landed a valuable black type success. “She was good and tough and stays. They went a proper gallop, she jumped and travelled and Jack said she was in her comfort zone,” said Cooper. "It was very unfortunate the last day when she just jinked back from the tape. There was no badness or it was nothing to do with Sean (Flanagan) but she gave him no chance of staying on. "She had been very tricky but is a different mare this year as we got an issue sorted with her last year." He added:- "Bryan (son, ex-leading jockey) loves her and why wouldn't he, as he bought her. She was well bought as she has some pedigree and her dam and second-dam are both Grade 1 winners. This mare isn't overly big but she is bigger than both those mares, who were tiny. "The dream is very much alive and she will probably go straight to the mares' novice at Cheltenham now. I don't think ground is an issue to her and good horses seem to go on any ground." (Quotes by Tom Weekes)
