Dawn Romance sheds her maiden tag at the third attempt Runner up on her two previous starts, the Michael O’Callaghan trained Dawn Romance just held on under Dylan Browne McMonagle to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Naas. Second behind a shock 50/1 winner over five-furlongs on her most recent start at Cork, the daughter of Mehmas seemed somewhat unfortunate to go down by a head on that occasion as she got going late on in the piece and was just unable to get there. Uneasy in the market in the hours leading up to the race, the O’Callaghan trained filly settled in a prominent position behind the forward going leader. She came off the bridle under three-furlongs out and kept on well in the closing stages to grasp the initiative off the long-time leader Xerling inside the final 50 yards. Although inside the final strides she faced real threats from the fast-finishing duo of You’ll Think Of Me and Struck By Her. Due to her gameness and tenacity, she managed to last home; however, she was calling out for the line. Michael O’Callaghan said, “She’s very laidback. I thought she would sharpen up more from the first day and she didn’t. She ran a similar sort of race. “She’s a filly that we hold in decent regard, and we think that she might just need a bit of headgear to help her sharpen up. “She’s the most genuine filly you could have with a great head carriage but might just need a bit of help to sharpen up. “She has an entry in the Cheveley Park but that’s a long way away and she’d want to be winning her maiden better than that. “She could get an entry for the Round Tower next weekend because there are not many options once she has won her maiden. “Six is her trip and fast ground.”
