Curroy Lady benefits from well-judged Keane ride There was a thrilling finish to the Bay Leaf Handicap, with Curroy Lady ultimately benefiting from a perfectly judged Colin Keane ride. An eye-catching third over the course and distance last month, the Mark McNiff-trained bay was well-fancied to go a few places better this evening and was returned at 2/1. Patiently ridden, the 49-rated victor appeared to have plenty to do in a pushed along fifth with less than three-furlongs to go. Improving into third approaching the straight, she was ridden and gained a narrow lead inside the final 150 yards, keeping on well from there to prevail by half-a-length in the colours of the Big Five MS Syndicate. The Joseph O'Brien pair of Magnolia Drive (7/4f) and Glenroyal (10/1) dead-heated for second, with the latter finishing strongly on what was his handicap debut. "The buckle in the reins opened the last day but that happened by the time they had straightened up for home, so it made no difference to the result," McNiff reflected. "I'd say the rain this evening helped a lot as it made stamina count more. Colin said she still rides a bit weak so he said not to run her back too soon. At home she rides like she wants further, but he said she was a bit weak to be going up in trip yet. "She has jumped a couple of hundred hurdles already and her dam won over hurdles. There's as many hurdlers in the family as Flat winners so she has options going forward. "She has local owners from Tubbercurry, up the road, and Jim Matthews heads it. He has been with me a while without luck but this is great to get." Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
