The Grey Dove makes the breakthrough under Kennedy

The Grey Dove shot clear between the final two flights in the New You Clinic Mares Maiden Hurdle and it was the winning of the race for trainer Gordon Elliott.

She came with a strong challenge before two out and jumped it well before sweeping past Tina Meehan

She moved three lengths clear at the last and was kept up to her work on the run-in by Jack Kennedy to fend off a fast-finishing Stormalong and Tina Meehan who came back for more.

The winner obliged at 4/1 (from 7s) by a length and a-quarter from 12/1 Stormalong who came home a head in front of Tina Meehan at an easy-to-back 28/1.

Kennedy said: "We went a fair old gallop and she was just flat out, but she stays and jumped well, apart from the last, so she did it well.

"She was a bit disappointing in Kilbeggan, but what she did here was what we were hoping she'd show in Kilbeggan, so it's nice for her to bounce back.

"She pricked her ears going down to the last. There was kind of a long one there, but I didn't feel that she was concentrating enough for me to go for it. She got in and popped it and picked up at the back of it.

"Stepping back up in trip would help her travel a bit better early on, I think, so we'll see what Gordon thinks.

"I thought the ground was just the slow side of good, lovely ground. They're only taking the top off it."

The Grey Dove got off the mark at the seventh time of asking having finished runner-up in a mares' bumper at Downpatrick in May last year and in a mares' maiden hurdle at Punchestown in June.

Additional reporting by Mark Nunan