The Pat Martin trained Steelyeyed got off the mark at the ninth attempt at Leopardstown today, winning the Bulmers Live At Leopardstown Handicap under jockey Gary Halpin.

The daughter of Duke Of Marmalade had previously failed to win in eight starts at a mile or less but was today stepping to 1m2f for the first time and eventually stayed on for a half length win over Hyperdrive

Martin later said “we were hoping that she would stay. We took her to a schooling race in Dundalk a few weeks ago and she went very well over a mile and a half but this was the furthest that we could get in the three-year-old bracket that she was going to have a racing weight in.

“We questioned her resolve last year but maybe she was a big, backward filly waiting for a trip. The Moores (owners) have been great supporters of mine over the years, and have been very lucky as well.”

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Alan Magee