Dandys Ocean takes the opener at the Curragh

Jessica Harrington and Colm O’Donoghue teamed up to take the opening race of the 2018 season at the Curragh as Dandys Ocean coped well with the rain-softened ground in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden.

Persistent rain changed the going to soft (soft to heavy in places) but the Dandy Man filly showed good speed throughout.

The 5/1 (from 8/1) chance headed Yolo Again inside the final furlong and stayed on really well in the closing stages to score by two and a quarter lengths. Lethal Promise kept on nicely to snatch the runner-up spot on the line from Yolo Again.

Mrs Harrington said, “It’s great to get a winner for Mr Zhang and she’s a nice filly. Colm said she would like better ground but she was good. It’s not ideal conditions but she could do no more than go and win.

“She jumped well, she travelled well and when he asked her she picked up well. She ran in the barrier trial (at Dundalk) last Sunday so it’s a good advertisement for it.”