O'Donoghue & Mulligan strike with Lady Plimsoll Despite a late market drift, Pierce Molony's Lady Plimsoll claimed the opener at Ballinrobe this evening, the JFC Group Apprentice Claiming Race. Returned the 9/4 favourite (from 7/4), the John O'Donoghue-trained bay was awkward away from the stalls and soon raced in mid-division on the outer under Rory Mulligan. Fifth at the halfway point, the daughter of Le Brivido made good headway into second approaching the straight and took over at the head of affairs inside the final 200 yards, keeping on well from there to score by three-quarters of a length. Well-supported from 14s in early shows to a starting price of 11/4, I Do Believe came home strongly to fill the runner-up spot under Jamie Powell for Willie McCreery, with the front-running Sugar Club (4/1) another two-lengths back in third. "She jumped a little slowly so I had to sit and suffer in the position I ended up in," Mulligan reflected. "I went steady the whole way, I knew the leader would have to slow down when we turned in and once I asked her, she picked up lovely. "I knew coming down the hill that she had loads left and it worked out well in the end. "I had finished second on her previously, she is a nice filly and while I'd say this is her ideal trip, she could go further. It's my first winner for John." The winner was later claimed by Michael O'Callaghan for E15,000, while I Do Believe (E6,000) and Sugar Club (E8,000) were picked up by Ian Donoghue and Paul Gilligan respectively. Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
