Vote Often and Pat Smullen put daylight between themselves and their rivals© Photo Healy Racing
Vote Often was the clear-cut winner of the two-year-old fillies’ maiden in Naas for Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen.
With a furlong to go in this seven-furlong race, Vote Often and Beyond Brilliance went on from Hazaraba but inside the last 200 yards Vote Often powered away to win by four and a quarter lengths.
“She did it well and she’s a big staying mare. She handled the ground well. She was under a bit of pressure two down, but on the testing ground she galloped well to the line,” Dermot Weld said.
"The ground didn't suit at Galway and she didn't handle the track. She's a big mare and has improved a lot from her first run. She got the best turned out award and she looks super.
“A lovely mare for next year, I think she’ll be up to stakes level. She’ll want a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half next year.
“She was in at Naas on Wednesday over a mile, but I looked through the race and decided to go here. She wants every yard of that seven furlongs and that’s why Pat made plenty of use of her.”
Vote Often won at 10/1. Second-placed Beyond Brilliance was returned at 7/4. She was three and a half lengths ahead of John Oxx’s Hazaraba, the 13/8 favourite (from 2/1) on debut. Princess Glamour was withdrawn not under orders.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
