Cobden gets on the board at Galway

Venusienne provided Harry Cobden with his first winner at Galway when taking the mares' handicap hurdle over two miles in the colours of J.P. McManus.

A facile winner of a Tramore maiden in October, but well beaten when odds-on at Kilbeggan last month, the French-bred daughter of Authorized was friendless in the market and was sent off 11/1 having been 4s overnight. 

Travelling strongly throughout, she moved into second two out and winged the last to hit the front, before going away to beat the well-backed 4/1 favourite Fratas by two and a half lengths.

"She won nicely, she disappointed me in Kilbeggan the last day, but I was happy enough with her form coming into today’s race,” said winning trainer Wille Mullins, who was completing a double after the success of Mr Hollywood in the opener. 

“Harry was very cool on her. It was all about settling her and he settled her nicely.

“He got a great jump at the second-last, and I thought from there it was all over if she just jumped the last, and she did.

“I was wondering had they gone fast enough, and obviously they did the way she closed out the race.

“She’s a mare that’s going to improve and she’ll jump fences down the road as well.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson