Stormy Belle does it very well

Stormy Belle dominated the extended six furlong auction maiden at Limerick from the front to come home clear under Leigh Roche.

The Dandy Man filly broke well from stall four and travelled well at the head of affairs.

She asserted over a furlong out for Roche and hit the line six lengths to the good at 5/2. Comhghairdeas (7/2) could make no impression in second but he did finish a head in front of uneasy 13/8 favourite Mack Attack who had drifted from an opening show of 5/4.

Handler Pat Fahy said: "She has always worked well and seems so quick on good ground that I never thought she would handle soft - keeps progressing with every run though.

"It's a great advantage in these auction races that she cost so little and I doubt she'll run again this year."

He added: "When I first came to Carlow to work with Pat Hughes I rode my first point-to-point winner for Pat Byrne (owner of Stormy Belle), who had horses with him over the years. The horse was called Stormy Haven and he won his point-to-point at Gowran."

Stormy Belle had been runner-up in her last two outings. She got off the mark at the sixth time of asking.

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes