Dimona relishes two mile trip

Johnny Murtagh brought up a double for the evening when taking the last at Leopardstown on board John Oxx’s Dimona

The 5/2 joint favourite saw out the two mile trip to win her first handicap after finishing third in the Ladies Derby at the Curragh in July.

She came home a length and a quarter clear of Star Power with the game front-runner Nantucket Bay boxing on for third a neck back also at 5/2.

John Oxx said: “She stayed well. There was a bit of a question mark whether a three-year-old would get the two miles well.

“She showed a little turn of foot at the end and did it well.

“We might stick to distances over a mile and a half. Those races are few and far between and hard to find. There is one at Killarney, the Kingdom Gold Cup over one mile six furlongs.

“She’s versatile and will handle softish ground as well.”

Nantucket Bay was the mover in the market. He was 11/2 in the morning, then opened 7/2 on course before going off 5/2 joint favourite.

Michael Graham