Magic makes it two on the trot

Top weight New Magic made it two in-a-row as she took the feature race at Limerick this evening, the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap, for her trainer Dermot McLoughlin with Niall McCullagh aboard.

The former Jessica Harrington trained daughter of Statue Of Liberty was raised four pounds by the handicapper for winning a similar contest at Gowran last time out.

Sent off at 6/1, she was given a patient ride by McCullagh and moved into fourth before they entered the straight.

She was ridden to challenge in second from over a furlong out and hit the front inside the final furlong before staying on best to score by a length and a half. Rock On Ciara (9/2) had to settle for second under Shane Foley after she attempted to assert two furlongs from home while Snap Alam ran well to finish third a further length back at 16/1 under Pat Smullen for Joanna Morgan.

The well backed 9/4 favourite (opened 5/1 this morning) Moscow Treat finished a further head back in fourth under Marc Monaghan for trainer Seamus O’Donnell.

Winning trainer Dermot McLoughlin said afterwards: "I have twelve horses riding out at the moment, mostly jumpers.

"Niall (McCullagh) said she travelled better today than she ever has done before.

"I thought coming here today that there would be more juice in the ground. She is very ground dependant and she needs some juice in the ground.

"A mile is her trip."

Donal Murphy & Thomas Weekes