Dea Dia (left) beats Princess Tamay in the claimer at Ballinrobe© Photo Healy Racing
Dea Dia opened her account at the fifteenth attempt when taking the Tote Smart Quick Picks Now Available Claiming Race at Ballinrobe.
The daughter of Holy Roman Emperor was prominent throughout, and asserted under Wayne Lordan approaching the home bend.
Sheila Lavery ’s well-backed 7/1 chance (from 12’s) kept on in the straight and held off Princess Tamay by a diminishing neck. Coral Cluster was a further length and a quarter back in third, with the trio drawing clear of the remainder.
Ms Lavery said, “Wayne gave her a great ride. She is what she is but has the heart of a lion.
“I thought the (outside) draw would kill her but she is very quick out of the gates, and Wayne took advantage of that. She is as genuine as they come.”
The lowly claiming price of €5,000 proved attractive to Adrian Keatley who later snapped up the four-year-old filly.
