© Photo Healy Racing
Ma Bess (16/5) produced a battling performance to win the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Flat Race under Alan O'Sullivan.
The daughter of Malinas had been placed three times in bumpers, including twice over longer trips at this venue. Prominent from flagfall and hugging the rail throughout, she turned for home upsides Meitheal and responded well to her rider's urgings to see off that rival by two and a quarter lengths.
Trainer Terence O'Brien said of Denis Wilson's six-year-old: "She deserved it. She had a couple of very good runs and the last day she probably got trapped in behind. We made more use of her today and the ground helped her as well, the bit of cut in it.
"Denis deserved it too, he has been persistent with her and trained her to win a point-to-point himself. She was third in a point-to-point earlier this year as well. I've had a couple of good mares with Denis, Lakemilan won a good few for us. I don't know if she'll be as good as Lakemilan, but you'd never know.
"She did it well and I thought she might reverse the form with the runner-up. The last day she just got a bit trapped in behind and finished strongly. We made more use of her today and it paid off; you live and learn."
"To try and win a bumper was the plan all along and it was going on and on a bit. She is versatile in terms of ground so we are in no major rush with her."
Quotes from Donal Murphy
