Ruby Walsh brought Candy Girl through with perfect timing to land the
feature event at Limerick, the Grade Three Bank Of Ireland EBF Mares Novice
Chase.
The Willie Mullins-trained 11-4 chance was not foot-perfect in the
two-mile-six-furlong contest, but she travelled up well to join the leaders
on the turn for home, where it looked a three-horse contest with Its A Ladys
Deal and Callherwhatulike.
The trio jumped the final fence in line, with Candy Girl in the middle, and
she got away from it best before being driven out to beat Callherwhatulike
by a length and a half.
Jessica Harrington looks to have a decent sort in Give It Time, who won the
Listed Dawn Omega Milk EBF Mares Novice Hurdle with some authority.
Sent into the lead approaching the second-last by Andrew Leigh, the
five-year-old (6-4) soon had her rivals in trouble and ran on strongly down
the straight to hold Forgivememaria by two and a half lengths.
The handler now has a two-and-a-half-mile race at Fairyhouse in mind.
The same trainer-jockey combination took the opening Limerick GAA Supporters
Maiden Hurdle with 12-1 chance Hume River.
Jack The Bus (10-1) stayed on really well to take the two-mile-seven-furlong
Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Hurdle on heavy ground at Navan.
Peter Casey's eight-year-old was on the heels of Oscar Time jumping the last
two and asserted on the run-in to score by two lengths.
The Dessie Hughes-trained Old Si defied the testing conditions to land the
two-mile Drogheda Novice Hurdle, making it two wins from three over timber.
The 7-2 shot was never far off the pace under Ian McCarthy and took it up
approaching the second-last before plugging on gamely to hold Right Or Wrong
by two lengths.
Hughes believes Fairyhouse might come too soon for the winner, who will
probably go to the Punchestown Festival.
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