Punters again had plenty to smile about at Wexford as Little Mich landed some nice bets in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Bumper.

Available at 9/1 this morning and backed down further on track from 11/2 into 4/1, the daughter of Westerner rewarded connections for their patience.

She showed promise on her opening two bumper outings but was then off the course for over 18 months until reappearing here in April.

Trained near Enniscorthy by Yvonne Latta for her husband Charlie, the six-year-old showed the benefit of that outing and was prominent throughout here before asserting for Pa King in the straight.

She had a loose horse (Miss Ellis Island unseated rider after stumbling before halfway) for company, and eventually came home three and a half lengths clear.

The 9/4 favourite Howayadoing took the runner-up spot, with Ellie’s Choice another two and a quarter lengths back in third.

Latta said, "We were thinking about going for a 2m3f bumper at Limerick with her but we will have to review that now. I'd say she will probably go hurdling.

"She had two very good runs before she got injured. She was second first time out at Sligo and then she was fifth in a very good bumper at Galway. I think everything in front of her at Galway went on to be good mares.

"She got injured then and we just had to put her away. We put her out in the field for eight months and forgot about her. We brought her back in then and she ran here in Wexford around two months ago. That run brought her on, she finished fifth and was doing her best work at the end.

"She was in much better form today and we did fancy her. This is my third winner as a trainer and I don't have many runners. We bred her and we bought her dam as a foal at Tattersalls in 1990. She won three races for us."

(DM & AM)