Roeillaun gains deserved success Sent off the 5/4 favourite, the Noel Meade-trained Roeillaun won Navan's opening Irish EBF Auction Series Fillies Maiden over six furlongs. The daughter of Earthlight had four previous starts and has improved with each one, finishing a close second and third on her two latest runs. She set the standard in this contest with a rating of 77. Under Colin Keane, the chestnut filly broke smartly and raced prominently on the near side. Joseph Morrin's homebred hit the front a furlong out and kept on well to score by a length and a half from Ana Morello (16/1). The well-supported Marcescence (7/1 — 4/1) was a further half-length back in third. Noel Meade said: "I think she has been a bit unlucky. The last day (Naas) she was drawn on the wrong side and had to do all the racing on her own. I think if she had been on the right side, she would have been okay. The same thing at the Curragh the time before. "She's probably unfortunate to be a maiden until now. "She's a nice filly and she's in the 'Million' and that other race in Naas, so we'll see where we go. We possibly might have a rattle at money, we have paid the money and we might go. "He (Keane) said he cruised the last half furlong." Additional reporting by Michael Graham.
