Walking Fame off the mark over hurdles for Taaffe and Slevin

The Irish EBF (Mares) Maiden Hurdle saw Walking Fame (7/2), a Downpatrick bumper winner in August, get off the mark on her fourth start over flights.

The Fame And Glory 5-year-old headed long-time leader Kitty Galore (16/) at the second last and kept on well to hold the staying-on favourite Erins Benefit (8/13) by a length and three quarters, with Kitty Galore another two and a quarter lengths back in third.

It was a reversal of form between the first two from their running over three furlongs further at Listowel last time, where Erins Benefit finished six lengths in front of today’s winner, but the market leader, outpaced after four out before doing her best work late on, certainly wasn’t helped by the drop in trip.

The winner had, somewhat controversially, kept the race in the stewards’ room after hampering a couple of rivals late on when winning her bumper 'up North'.

Elaine Taaffe, wife of winning trainer Tom Taaffe, said: "She is now finished for the rest of the season and will go chasing next year. She is a big old-fashioned chaser and I'm delighted for the owner Olivia O'Reilly who is here today."

JJ Slevin added: "He (Tom Taaffe) has done very well with her, she has won her bumper and maiden hurdle now. She is a big old-fashioned type of mare and is a great model and has progressed."

Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes