Lokada Colin Keane centre win the William Hill Maiden at Dundalk © Photo Healy Racing
Colin Keane is finishing out the season in style and the defending champion combined once more with trainer Michael O'Callaghan as Lokada kept on strongly to win the opening William Hill Lengthen Your Odds Maiden at Dundalk.
Making her debut on the polytrack after three starts on turf, the daughter of Exceed And Excel was smartly away from stalls, getting a good position tracking the early pacesetter Pilbara Gold
With the latter coming under pressure over a furlong from home, both Lokada and race favourite Greek Flower threw down their challenges.
However, try as he might, Ben Coen could never get the Johnny Feane trained Greek Flower past the eventual winner and it was left to debutant Ha Ha Gloria to throw down the final challenge.
At the finish only a neck separated the first two, with the same distance back to the third.
“I thought she was entitled to do that because I liked her all along,” said O'Callaghan.
“She had plenty of boot at home but she's one that's taken plenty of time and she's had excuses for every day that she ran before now.
“I thought the handicapper was very fair on her, giving her a mark of 58. I thought it was quite under the mark.
“She ran over seven first time and didn't get home, then she ran over six the next day at the Curragh and led them to the furlong pole.
“She ran over five the last day at Navan but it was bottomless ground, and she led to about 150 yards out. She didn't get home in that ground.
“Being by Exceed And Excel she wants nicer ground. Colin said she was plenty green when she got there but she has loads of boot and she'll be better suited by a better race where they go quite fast.
“She's an out-and-out five furlong filly. We might see if there is something else up here for her over the winter because she wants nice ground. If not, we'll put her away until next year.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
