Afternoon Sunlight gleaming in Limerick

Afternoon Sunlight stretched right away from her rivals to impressively score in the three-year-old fillies’ maiden at Limerick.

The further she went in this extended mile contest the further the gap widened to the remainder and she hit the winning line five lengths ahead under Pat Smullen for Dermot Weld.

Again punters quickly got stuck into the 7/2 offered by bookmakers before racing and her SP contracted to 13/8f. She made most today and when headed responded and quickened away for a decisive victory.

Dermot Weld’s son Kris was on hand to unsaddle the filly and he said: “Her run behind My Titania would entitle her to go close. The ground was softer than ideal. She’d like better ground and will improve on it.

“She’s a half-sister to Casual Conquest so she’ll go down the black-type route now.”

Paul Deegan’s Achnaha took second at 9/4 while Mick Halford’s Diylawa was two and a quarter lengths away in third.

The winner, who is a Sea The Stars filly, holds an entry in the Irish 1,000 Guineas on 25th May. Her best run as a juvenile came when beaten two and a quarter lengths by My Titania in Leopardstown.

This winner continued Dermot Weld’s fine start to the new season. It was his sixth winner from his last 19 runners.

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes