Lantry Lady made a real impression when she won her maiden hurdle by 14 lengths just over a year ago at this track and she confirmed the promise of that success with a comfortable victory over main market rival What’s Up Darling in the Grade 3 Red Mills Trial Hurdle for Rachael Blackmore and Henry de Bromhead at Gowran Park.
?? Lantry Lady - 2-2 & nice prospect. Lovely effort this in the €30,000 @Redmills Trial Hurdle@HenrydeBromhead | @rachaelblackmor | @GowranPark1 pic.twitter.com/oB404DZBu9
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) February 17, 2024
The daughter of Saint Des Saints hadn’t run since that sole success 343 days previous, but she was short in the betting on account of receiving a stone in weight from What’s Up Darling.
Blackmore was content to track that rival throughout, with Doyan Ta Win going clear from flagfall. The pair easily accounted for the front-runner in the straight and it was clear between the last two flights that the Kieran and Cathy Mariga-owned mare was going best as she came away for a nine-and-a-half-length win after the last.
The winner was cut to prices between 16/1 and 25/1 for the Mares Hurdle and despite her relative lack of experience, she looks set to take her chance at that contest.
“She is a really nice mare,” said de Bromhead. “She was impressive here last year in her maiden hurdle. She was a bit immature here last year so we put her away and since we’ve brought her back, she’s just had a couple of niggles so it’s taken us a while to get her going again but she was well worth it.
“I was probably concerned about fitness. When I saw how short she was, I was thinking she’d only won a maiden hurdle and this was just her second run, so as ever I always query everything, but she has confirmed what she did in her maiden hurdle and stepped forward again.
“I am delighted for the Marigas, they are great supporters of ours. I think the Mares Hurdle has to be on the agenda. It’s a step up in trip but she strikes us at home that all she does is stay. I’d say she definitely wants a good ease in the ground so we’d be cautious of that but she’s in the race, the guys would love to go and I think she is entitled to.”