Damselfly gets off the mark

Damselfly made the breakthrough on her eighth start, as she took the opener at Down Royal, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden.

Trained by Joseph O'Brien, and owned by his mother Annmarie, the daughter of Power was beaten by small margins on two occasions earlier in the summer.

She was fourth to Golden Spell on her last start at Bellewstown, and she was sent off the 2/1 favourite today (6s last night and from 3s on-course) with Wayne Lordan in the saddle.

Settled behind the leaders on the outer, she was pushed along with two furlongs left to race. She was ridden in second from the furlong pole, and stayed on best in the closing stages, going on to score by half a length. Kimono Girl (5/1) led for much of the contest, but she couldn't hold off the winner, and had to settle for second under Chris Hayes for Edmond Kent.

The Johnny Feane trained Stewardess (11/4) completed the placings another length and a half back in third with Declan McDonogh in the saddle.

Lordan said afterwards: "She travelled quite well. The ground was a little bit slow for her today, it's soft ground and I rolled around a little bit in it but she's a very consistent and genuine filly.

"She went to the line well. Another furlong would be a help as well. I suppose she was entitled to win that.

"Joseph (O'Brien) was confident, he was just afraid of the ground to be honest. It went a bit soft but we got away with it today.

"It is loose but it is still soft. For a two-year-old filly like that it is a little bit testing but the older horses will be fine."

Additional reporting by Michael Graham