Deserved victory for consistent Balrath

Trainer Gavin Cromwell recorded his first winner in over a year and a half, as his Balrath Hope recorded a deserved victory in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden over a mile with Declan McDonogh in the saddle.

The daughter of Intikhab was having her sixth career start this afternoon and having run well on all her efforts to date she was sent to post the 3/1 second favourite.

Having raced prominently in the early stages she improved to lead under three furlongs from home.

She was ridden over a furlong out and despite swishing her tail she kept on well from there to score by a comfortable three lengths at the line. Gun Shoot ran well to take second for Colm Murphy and Niall McCullagh at 14/1 while the Jim Bolger trained newcomer Loreto was a further head back in third at 13/2.

The 2/1 favourite Maid To Master for Jessica Harrington and Fran Berry attempted to make all but could find no more when headed by the winner three furlongs from home and finished a disappointing tenth.

Cromwell, who trains locally in Balrath, Navan, said afterwards: "She loved the ground and Declan said she wasn’t doing a stroke.

"Her owner (John Quinn) bred her as well and he has her dam (Best Shift). We might look for a winners race or a handicap for her now depending on what the handicapper does.

"I hadn’t intended running her again so soon but she came of her last race so well and this looked the perfect race for her."

Cromwell's last winner came in November of 2010 when his Five Two won on the all-weather at Dundalk under Seamie Heffernan.

After the race the favourite Maid To Master was examined by the Turf Club vet and and she was found to be clinically abnormal post-race.

Donal Murphy & Michael Graham