Sunday Serenade (orange) is driven out by Jane Mangan to beat Alton Bay© Photo Healy Racing
John Murphy saddled a one, two in the third, and Peter Fahey got in on the act in the last, as Sunday Serenade lead home stable mate Alton Bay in the Meet The Roses Ladies INH Flat Race.
Ridden by Jane Mangan, the five-year-old daughter of Flemensfirth was sent off the 6/4 favourite, having opened at 7/2 this morning with Paddy Power.
She was well beaten on her debut in a Listed bumper at Navan in November of last year, but she ran a cracker on her last start, finishing just four and three parts of a length second to her smart stable mate Nathans Pride, in a winners bumper at Down Royal.
Held up towards the rear this evening, she made good headway into fifth at the halfway stage.
She disputed the lead from six furlongs out, hitting the front with less than three furlongs to go.
Alton Bay (20/1), under Evanna McCutcheon, then came with his challenge inside the final two furlongs, but the winner pulled out more in the closing stages to score by a neck.
The front pair went eight and a half lengths clears of Billie Hale who finished third under Helen Mooney for Enda Bolger at 16/1.
Peter Fahey, who also won the bumper here on Monday with Frontline, said afterwards: "It’s a pity one of them had to lose. Both have brilliant owners and there are very good friends.
"It’s a pity we had to run them against each other but we have so many young horses.
"The ground was safe so we had to let them take their chance.
"She will have a break now and her main aim will be to go back to Navan for that Listed mares bumper.
"The runner-up will tip away now on the good ground."
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
