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Red letter day for Dorgan in bumper

Sealed with a kiss Grace Dorgan with mum Ailish and dad Donal Sealed with a kiss Grace Dorgan with mum Ailish and dad Donal
© Healy Racing Photos

Grace Dorgan enjoyed a day to remember at Fairyhouse this afternoon when Streamhill gave her a first winner in the concluding GavinLynchRacing-sponsored bumper.

The Padraig Butler-trained mare went to post an 11/1 shot in the finale having showing a decent level of ability in previous runs.

She came to challenge early in the straight in the two-miler and hit the front a furlong-and-a-half from home.

The Kingston Hill mare stayed on well in the closing stages to post a two-and-a-half length win over front-runner S T Hamo .

“That's phenomenal, nothing is ever going to compare to it. It's just unbelievable, I can't believe it happened to me,” said a delighted Dorgan.

“Rounding the back bend she was full of running underneath me and every time I gave her a little squeeze she gave me more.

“When we came to the line I couldn't believe that I was still in front!

“I couldn't pull her up in the end, she could have gone for another victory lap.”

On the possible celebrations she added:- “I'll get a pizza anyway, I'm starving.

“Probably tomorrow evening we might go for a few drinks and celebrate, you'd have to celebrate your first winner anyway.”

Winning trainer Butler said:- “A lot of things were in her favour today, the ground was good and it was a small field.

“Grace is a brilliant rider, she got the bit of luck in running and gave her a brilliant ride today.

“She's a lovely mare, she just likes that good sod. I'm delighted for Grace, she's a very hard working girl and a very capable rider.

“It's her father Donal's mare. She had a couple of good runs and a middling run in Galway on soft ground, we knew we could draw a line through that.

“Things went her way today, she got a bit of light and Grace just gave her a great ride. It's her first winner and hopefully there are many more to come.

“I'd say she'll be a nice mare for hurdles, over two-and-a-half miles, and fences as well. Please-God she'll go on from this now and win another race or two.”

About Gary Carson
Gary started out as a trainee/assistant journalist with the Sporting Life newspaper and has worked in the racing industry for over 25 years. He has been with the Press Association since 2013 and won the Irish Field Nap Table in 2016. He enjoys working with horses and trained his own horse, Mamaslittlestar, to win a point-to-point in 2019.