La Joya dominates from the front© Photo Healy Racing
Colin Keane made full use of La Joya s proven stamina to make all in the mile and a half handicap on Gowran Park's card.
She broke well from the stalls and disputed early before going on.
Keane asked her for more outside the two pole and he had a willing partner who boxed on well.
The 3/1 shot was driven out in the final furlong to account for market springer Noble Heritage (14/1 to 4/1) by a length and three quarters. Lady Dahlia stayed on a further three lengths back in third without landing a glove on the winner.
Willie Mullins said: “Her first run was great and I had better plans for her but she disappointed me then.
“I think she might just have gotten a bit jarred and once she got an ease on her last two runs it seems to have made a huge difference to her.
“The trip seems to be no problem to her either, she did it the hard way.
“Hopefully now she'll find a bit of improvement and she might work into the filly that I thought she was.”
La Joya had finished second over this trip on heavy ground at Listowel last month.
This brought up 90 winners on the season for Colin Keane and moved him six clear of Shane Foley in the jockeys' title race.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
