Dinard Rose

Dinard Rose didn’t have a lot of luck in the opening three-year-olds’ maiden hurdle. Settled in second place behind the leader Fassbender early on, she was hampered a little by a loose horse at the fourth last flight, and she was very badly hampered at the second last. She had just moved up on the inside under Eoin Walsh to dispute the lead with Guinevere on the run to the flight when the loose horse moved to his right and almost refused, with the result that Dinard Rose had to almost stop in her tracks and clamber over the obstacle. She went from disputing the lead to racing in fourth place and playing catch-up, about eight lengths behind the leader. As well as that, she had to re-start her momentum, which is not easy at the bottom of the hill at Galway.

In the circumstances, Noel Meade’s mare did well to get as close as she did. She stayed on from the home turn over the final flight, and she got to within four lengths of the winner Sacchoandvanzetti by the time they got to the winning line.

The Champs Elysees filly is a good recruit to hurdling. She won three of her last six races on the flat, she was impressive in winning the Ulster Cesarewitch on her penultimate run on the flat, and she didn’t run badly in the Irish Cesarewitch on her latest, racing from 5lb out of the handicap. Rated 80 on the flat, she jumped well here on her hurdling bow, and she should be able to win her maiden soon before stepping up in grade. She holds an entry in a juveniles’ maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse next Tuesday.

Galway, 26^th October 2019