Smoke clings on for maiden win White Smoke just hung on after blazing a trail to land the Johnny Sullivan Memorial Maiden at Bellewstown for Michael Grassick. Rory Cleary bounced out in front on the 12/1 shot and kept to the centre as she took them along in the five furlong contest. Osterode came to press late on but White Smoke just prevailed at the line to secure victory by the narrowest of margings. It was a 12th career start for the Coulsty filly who had been runner-up twice as a two-year-old and had recently dropped to a mark of 54. The trainer’s father Michael Grassick senior said: "It depended on where the line was - at the beginning of the gap she's not (up) and then she is. "We said to stay out there until you come to the elbow because of better ground, well it is not used anyway. "Thank God, we have been a long time waiting for her to win. "I don't know if she would run again this year." (Quotes by Michael Graham)
