Search
Cheltenham 2024
- Main Site
- Cheltenham Home
- Cheltenham Cards
- Cheltenham Results
- Cheltenham Offers
- Cheltenham Odds
- Cheltenham Tips
- Cheltenham News
- Prestbury Cup
- Cheltenham Videos
-
Cheltenham Statistics
- Leading Trainer
- Leading Jockeys
- Leading Owners
- Previous Years
- Previous Appearances
- Breeding Profile of Winners
- Lady Jockeys at The Festival
- Leading Jockey Award Winners
- Most Successful Jockeys of All Time
- Current Jockeys Competing at Cheltenham
- Most Successful Jockey In..
- Leading Trainer Award Winners
- Most Successfull Trainer All Time
- Current Trainers Competing at Cheltenham
- Most Successful Trainer In..
- Cheltenham Trainer/Runner Index
- Desktop Site
Cheltenham 2024
- irishracing.com
- Cheltenham
- News
- Veronica Falls sheds her maiden tag
Donal Murphy
Veronica Falls sheds her maiden tag
Veronica Falls keeps on best to beat Shes No Joke
© Photo Healy Racing
Veronica Falls out-battled Shes No Joke in the closing stages, to take the Hibernia Steel Ltd 3yo Maiden, under Pat Smullen for trainer Eddie Lynam. The daughter of Medicean ran well to finish third on her previous visit to Dundalk in October, but she since disappointed at Leopardstown and Tipperary. Back on the all-weather, she was sent off at 13/2 (was 8/1 this morning and touched 7s on-course) and she chased the leaders in the early stages. The Clipper Logistics Group Ltd owned filly then made headway in the early straight, hitting the front two furlongs out and keeping on well from there to score by three parts of a length. Shes No Joke, for Mark Fahey and Conor Hoban, had to settle for second at 5/2, while Keilogue ran well on her debut to take third, a further three and three parts of a length back under Danny Grant for George Kent at 12/1. Sariyfa went off the heavily backed 11/10 favourite (opened 9/4 on-course) but she could only manage a disappointing fourth under Declan McDonogh for Mick Halford. Pat Smullen said afterwards: "She found all the way to the line. She got a bit lonely in front but I was probably in front soon enough and she’ll get a bit further in time." The winner cost 14,000 Guineas as a yearling at Tattersalls in 2011 and she is a half-sister to Perennial who was Group 3 placed in the UK for Charles Hills. Additional reporting by Michael Graham