Dame De Ruban rewards her supporters at big price

Declan Queally's Dame De Ruban served up a 40/1 shock in the Adare Mares Maiden Hurdle in Limerick after a good battle with Mystery Stowaway

The latter was in front two out but had Dame De Ruban moving into a challenging position on the outside.

Mystery Stowaway came under the whip before the last but still held a slight advantage. Dame De Ruban got away from it nimbly, though, and soon joined the leader on the run-in.

The pair gamely fought it out with Dame De Ruban just getting the better in the closing stages.

She won by a neck under jockey Declan Queally from the 10/1 runner-up. The pair pulled 15 lengths clear of Tick Along in third at 150/1.

Jockey Queally said: "I was over at the Sales looking for a mare for my brothers Louis and Jack and two of their friends and Scobie (Aidan) Fitzgerald collared me. He had three to sell and was selling this filly and said she was just weak. To be fair to him he was A1 and everything he said about her was class.

"We had a little bit of a virus in March,and she has bounced back from that. You'd be hoping the handicapper won't be too hard on her but it was nice to get it anyway.

"To be fair, a lot of the owners were very understanding; I asked them could we sort things out and they left them to stay in training. This one was ready to go and we have 13 horses for the summer."

Dame De Ruban was bought for £6,500 in May 2019.

Additional reporting by Tom Weekes