Ace Of Diamonds (nearest) gets up to beat Reinas Queen (centre) and Light That© Photo Healy Racing
Ace Of Diamonds provided Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen with their first success of the 2017 Flat Turf season, as he took the Bulmers Live At Leopardstown Handicap.
The four-year-old son of Oasis Dream failed to get off the mark last season, finishing second on his penultimate start at Gowran in June.
He then flopped when sent off favourite on his handicap debut at Naas in July, and he was sent off a friendless 14/1 chance this afternoon (short as 5's last night).
Settled in mid-division by Smullen, the bay victor was pushed along and made progress on the outer from the two furlong pole.
He was ridden with over a furlong to race, and stayed on best from there, getting up inside the final 50 yards to score by a head.
Outsider Reinas Queen finished second under Conor Hoban for Sarah Dawson at 66/1, while Light That (5/1 to 3/1jfav), who hit the front with over two furlongs to race, was a nose away in third under Niall McCullagh for Jessica Harrington. Elm Grove who won at Cork on Sunday, was the other joint-favourite, and she was another three parts of a length back in fourth under Nathan Crosse for Willie McCreery.
Dermot Weld said afterwards: "It was a very good ride by Pat - he just got there.
"We'll look for another similar race for him. I thought he'd run a good race and he ran accordingly."
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
