Vallado justifies favouritism in the Tatts race

Vallado followed up on her recent maiden success at Leopardstown, as she took the valuable Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sale Stakes under Pat Smullen for Eddie Lynam.

The grey daughter of Clodovil finished second on her debut at Leopardstown in July, three and three parts of a length behind Tahaany, but she went one place better on her next start, beating My Titania by two and three parts of a length.

She was well-fancied to follow up on that success this afternoon, and having opened at 9/4 on-course she went off the 7/4 favourite.

Settled behind the leaders on the wide outside, she travelled well two furlongs from home, hitting the front inside the final furlong, before staying on well close home to score comfortably by two and a half lengths.

Mark Johnston took second and third with Atlantic Affair filling the runner-up spot at 14/1 under John Egan, while An Chulainn was a neck back in third under Seamie Heffernan, also at 14/1.

Eddie Lynam said afterwards: "That’s nice to get. It’s the first I’ve trained for Andrew Cohen (of Wood Hall Stud), we owned her in partnership with him.

"That will sort her out today, as she will have learned the game properly.

"We will probably aim her at the Blenheim or the Park Stakes. Pat said she’ll have no problem with seven furlongs so it will be either one or the other.

"That will keep up in chips for a while!"

Additional reporting by Gary Carson