Darling Daughter and Lisa O'Neill win the mares bumper© Photo Healy Racing
Darling Daughter completed a 1,364/1 treble on the day for Gordon Elliott when taking the concluding race of the Dublin Racing Festival at Leopardstown, the Coolmore NH Sires Irish EBF Mares Flat Race.
The Longwood trainer, who earlier won the Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup with Delta Work and also the opening mares handicap hurdle with Black Tears was fancied to land this Grade 2 with the odds-on Bigbadandbeautiful
However, the 5/6 chance weakened inside the final furlong to finish fourth as Darling Daughter stayed on strongly under Lisa O’Neill.
The Gigginstown-owned daughter of Presenting, who made a successful debut under rules at the Limerick Christmas meeting, defied odds of 25/1 when scoring by three and three quarter lengths.
Politesse came home strongly to take the runner-up spot, with Carrigeen Lotus in third.
Elliott said, “She quickened well a furlong down and she gallops. She improved nicely from Limerick. She'll have an entry in the Cheltenham bumper anyway and we'll see.
“Jamie (Codd, rider of Bigbadandbeautiful) said the other mare was too keen and done too much the whole way, she'll be grand. She'll go back to the Flat.”
Paddy Power introduced Darling Daughter at 33/1 for the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham.
(GC & AM)
