Kiss The Stars finds her ideal trip

Kiss The Stars proved too strong in the latter stages of the five furlong furlong handicap at Dundalk, as she took the scalp of well-backed favourite Primo Uomo Little Sweetheart drawn wide in 12, broke very smartly and soon tacked over to lead under Danny Grant. Primo Uomo, the 6/4 favourite from 5/2 in the morning, chased the leader in second approaching the straight.

The favourite moved up to challenge Little Sweetheart a furlong and a half out and was ridden into a narrow lead just outside the furlong marker.

Kiss The Stars responded to pressure from Killian Leonard to move into third with over a furlong to race. She kept on strongly to collar Primo Uomo in the final 50 yards and scored by a length and a quarter at 14/1.

Alamadaa, on the rail, finished his race off well to get up for third at 33/1. He was beaten two lengths by the winner.

Trainer Tom McCourt said: "I think I've been running her over the wrong trip. She's not speedy at home and doesn't show that kind of pace. Anybody who has rode her has said she wants six or seven.

“I didn't realise I hadn't run her over five for a year-and-a-half. Probably the end-to-end gallop suited her.

“I can't believe it's taken as long as it has to win a second race with her. She was third in a premier handicap in her first year and had some good runs without getting her head in front.

“She's in the sales in February. There is a 0-65 for her next week but I don't want to be running the legs off her and we'll see how she is.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson