Odds-on-favourite Posing was made to battle for the win in Dundalk but came up with the goods by a neck from Catch Word in the extended mile and a quarter maiden.

Posing and Wayne Lordan raced third behind Jackapies Bay and Queen Alphabet She was sent about her business to chase down Queen Alphabet with a furlong and a half to negotiate.

Inside the final furlong Posing got the better of Queen Alphabet but Catch Word was putting in plenty of good late work on the far side. It was only close home that Posing managed to get the better of Catch Word for a narrow victory at 4/5 for David Wachman.

The runner-up was backed from 16/1 in the morning, 10/1 on opening show and was returned at 8/1 for Eoin Griffin and Chris Hayes.

“She had a nice run the first day in Gowran. She came here for a bit nicer ground as she needs it,” Wayne Lordan said.

“She'll improve from that as she got a little bit tired in the last half furlong.”

Posing had been seen once before on a racetrack when second to Ebayya in a Gowran Park maiden last August.

Additional reporting by Gary Carson