La Hacienda wins under apprentice Jake Coen © Photo Healy Racing
La Hacienda gave trainer Matthew Smith a second winner of the festival when proving too strong for favourite Unanswered in the concluding Hop House 13 Handicap at Galway.
Only seventh here on Wednesday evening(when Unanswered also filled the runner-up berth), the daughter of Free Eagle overturned that form with the favourite, as she found that bit extra on the uphill climb.
Ironically, Unanswered had travelled better than in any of his previous races, as he tracked the leaders down into the dip, before striking for home turning in. Given his bottomless reserves of stamina, he would have been expected to go win his race from there but the Smith trained mare wasn't about to surrender.
Arriving with a strong challenge up the rail, La Hacienda pulled out more when it mattered, going on to win under Jake Coen.
Matthew Smith said: "we bought her from Germany and she had won a maiden on heavy ground in France.
"We couldn't get any weight on her last year, she had a few little problems during the summer and after giving her a little break, she never looked as well. She won on good ground at Leopardstown and the plan was always to come back here. Jake said he got not real run on Wednesday.
"I wasn't overly concerned about the ground but the way she won at Leopardstown, I thought it might be her preferred ground but we said we'd chance it."
The ABD (Anyone But Dublin, from Ratoath) Syndicate-owned winner is declared tomorrow and Smith added "she is back in trip, I have blinkers on and there's every chance she'll run.
"I'll talk to the lads - I doubt they're going home!"
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
