Vain Gloria makes winning start for Twomey and Lee

Vain Gloria made a winning racecourse debut for trainer Paddy Twomey, when easily beating more exposed rivals in the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies & Mares Maiden at Killarney.

The Billy Lee ridden debutant was smartly away from stall six, sitting second just off the leader Daughteroffortune during the initial stages of the race.

Always travelling well in the slipstream of the thrice-raced Ciaran Murphy trained filly, Lee sent the daughter of Kodi Bear to the front over two furlongs out.

From that point on, the result was never in doubt, despite the eventual winner leaning to her left, possibly as a result of inexperience more than anything else. Golden Spangle and Letiza two of the more experienced fillies in the race, kept on well to fill the minor placings.

Paddy Twomey said: "First time out you never know but I was hoping she'd run a nice race. She is a nicely bred filly and her mother is a sister to a couple of very good horses.

"I was hoping she'd run a nice race and come forward and she has done that so we'll look for a winners' race.

"A half-sister won a bumper but I wouldn't mind that as it shows they are good and tough. She has been with us since she was a yearling, she has never missed a day and took all the training last year.

"I told the lads that it would be mid-season in her three-year-old year before she 'd run and it's great to have a winner for Stanley (Watson) and Trevor (Stewart). Stanley has a summer house in Glengarriff so he said Killarney would be good and we aimed for that."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes.