Pakora clears the last with Motown Girl in second© Photo Healy Racing
Pakora justified odds-on favouritism in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle, scoring under Paul Townend for Willie Mullins and owner Joe Donnelly.
A dual winner on the level in France, and second in a Listed contest at Toulouse, the daughter of Gentlewave was expected to score today, going off a 1/2 chance.
Having raced in second, the grey victor closed on the front-running One First Cut from four out, and took over in front shortly after the next.
She wasn't fluent two out and was soon pressed by Motown Girl however she kept on best on the run-in when briefly shaken up, going on to prevail by a comfortable three lengths.
Motown Girl (7/2) had to settle for second under Danny Mullins for his mother Mag, while One First Cut (6/1) was another eighteen lengths back in third under Sean Flanagan for Liz Doyle.
Townend said afterwards: "She will improve a lot for it and probably wants nicer ground and was pretty green. We went quick enough for the ground out there and she will come on fitness-wise and experience-wise.
"She was keen coming off the flat and she hasn't run in quite a while so she was well and fresh in herself. She won snug enough and I presume she could away run during the summer."
STEWARDS REPORT
P.T. Enright, rider of Oaks Empress trained by Eamon Courtney, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount never travelled.
Additional reporting by Thomas Weekes
