Valentina Lady returns with a win

Valentina Lady ran out a good winner of the opener at Wexford this afternoon, the first divide of the Loch Garman Mares Opportunity Maiden Hurdle.

A winner of a bumper in November of 2019, the Paul Nolan trained seven-year-old unseated on her most recent start in the Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle at Naas in November.

Back in calmer waters today, the Oscar bay was sent off a 2/1 chance under Jordan Gainford for owner John Brennan.

Settled towards rear, she took closer order with just under a circuit to race and was poised to challenge in third as they approached the second last.

Sent to the front before the final flight, she was ridden and extended her advantage on the run-in, going on to score by three and a half lengths. Leac An Scail Lady (7/4f) finished second under Hugh Morgan for Henry de Bromhead, while Esthers Marval (4/1) was another four lengths away in third.

Nolan said afterwards: "She is a nice mare and is a winter type. She won a Naas bumper and I suppose she was after underachieving since.

"She stumbled in Naas and hurt herself. It looked very little but it turned out to be sinister enough. That's why she is in now.

"It's great that the ground is safe and you could run anything on it. I'm just delighted that she has won her maiden hurdle now and won the E5,000 bonus as well.

"Off her rating (of 116) she was entitled to win it and it was a super ride from young Jordan. He settled her early on and he was just very good on her. That was the winning and losing of the race, the way he just switched off. They went quick early and he just sat there and didn’t panic.

"She loves that sort of ground with an ease in it. Hopefully she is well-handicapped and will stay sound."