Persian Daughter powers home to land the odds Persian Daughter made all for an ultimately convincing victory under Sean Cleary-Farrell in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle at Downpatrick. The field was reduced to just three runners in the absence of Jetaway Nana (going) and Wild Mandate (coughing) and Persian Daughter was sent off the 1/2 favourite to confirm the promise of her second when switched to hurdles at Bellewstown earlier this month. Portetta tried to throw down a challenge approaching the final flight, but the Willie Mullins-trained odds-on shot quickly asserted on the run-in to score by an easy 13 lengths. Clongorey appeared likely to be tailed off when struggling after the third last but to her credit kept on well under pressure to just snatch the runner-up spot on the line. Cleary-Farrell said: "I got a dream ride off her around there the whole way. Her jumping was unbelievable which I was well told about on the way here. "She ran the last day off the front and she seemed happy, so the plan was to let her off in front and find her own way nearly. She's brilliant, there's no asking her for her jumps, she is doing everything herself there. "Her last day as well, she looked foot perfect all the way around. "Going off the last run, even just watching that, you could see she was always staying going so there today the line was just perfect. She just kept the head down and kept galloping. "I'd say with more experience she will go on to be better, I'd love to see her over a fence. "I'd say she is a nice one to look forward to and a nice one to own. "She could hear the horse coming to join me. I didn't want to go on yet but she kind of took the hands off me and went on. She really powered up the hill." Quotes by Michael Graham
