Fiver Friday makes the best way home© Photo Healy Racing
It was all change in the final furlong of the extended 10-furlong handicap in Naas as Fiver Friday scooted home by a comprehensive three-and-a-half-lengths. Tamrat led and raced clear at a fast pace but those exertions began to tell inside the final quarter of a mile.
The field soon eroded the advantage and Fiver Friday, who had progressed into a threatening position, raced to the front just outside the final furlong.
She began to move clear inside the furlong pole and swept in at 8/1. Morning-price punters could have had 25/1 on the four-year-old filly.
This was her first victory in Ireland to go with three in Scotland. Thor's Hammer plugged on for second, a short head in front of Slieve Binnian (4/1).
Paul Traynor said: “She’d done all her winning before in Scotland and just could never get her head in front here.
“The last day in Down Royal it turned out she was in season.
“We knew she handled the course here from her maiden form (third on debut) and for her to get her head in front in Ireland is brilliant.
“They went plenty hard early on to set it up for her and Wayne (Hassett) used his head. He said she loved the hill as well and maybe that’s her trip.”
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
