Tom Weekes
First win for Miranda Priestly
Miranda Priestly (right)
© Photo Healy Racing
Miranda Priestly upset better fancied runners in winning Cork's Irish Stallion Farms EBF (Mares) Maiden Hurdle today, scoring at 18/1 and with a rating of 98, for trainer Barry Fitzgerald and jockey Danny Mullins.
The Willie Mullins trained Nos Na Gaoithe was 5/4 favourite but was out-battled on the run-in by Miranda Priestly, which is named after a powerful New York City-based editor of a fashion magazine in The Devil Wears Prada.
Well beaten third-placed Call Her Now (7/4), a £240,000 purchase following a point-to-point win last May, failed to settle and faded in the straight.
It was jockey Mullins and Fitzgerald's first winners of the new season and afterwards the trainer said “she was a nice filly from day one and I think Snow Sky is a good stallion. I liked her in her bumper days but she lost her way. I have started training her from the paddock now and she has settled down a lot more.
“I thought she had a good chance and while her jumping was sticky the last few days, it was very good today. Having the hood on her for the second time also helped her settle.
“She will stay going for the summer and she could go back on the flat as she has plenty speed. We'll will have plenty fun with her for the summer.”