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- Don't continues O'Dwyer's winning streak
Donal Murphy
Don't continues O'Dwyer's winning streak
Don't Let Go jumps the last under Ricky Doyle
© Photo Healy Racing
Conor O'Dwyer has his yard in tremendous form of late, and Don't Let Go continued his winning streak in the Maloney & Matthews Mares Maiden Hurdle.
O'Dwyer's last four runners have all been successful. Prosperity Square started the sequence at Wexford on July 28th, before Flaming Sea and Sunrise Lady both came home in front at Galway and Sligo respectively.
An encouraging fourth of eighteen on her last start at Roscommon, Don't Let Go was sent off the 5/4 favourite this evening with Ricky Doyle in the saddle.
Close-up behind the front-running Field Exhibition the winning JP McManus owned five-year-old improved to dispute the lead from two out.
She got to the front before the final flight, and stretched clear on the run-in, going on to score by seven lengths. Aimee Kate (14s this morning and from 8s to 13/2 on-course) finished second under Robert Short for Peter Fahey, while Peggy's Acre (16s this morning and from 8s to 7s on-course) was eight lengths away in third for Andrew Lynch and Gavin Cromwell.
"That's four winners in a row - it's amazing," said O'Dwyer.
"The conditions absolutely suited her and it wasn't the strongest contest in the world. She's rated 97 and is entitled to win it but that doesn't always work out as we know.
"She always pleased me at home but she disappointed the first two days, for whatever reason, and she's maybe just a typical mare and wanted a bit of time.
"It was a cracking run at Roscommon and she followed it up nicely there now.
"I'd presume the handicapper can't do a lot as she's entitled to win it. She'll go handicapping now and she's a nice mare to have.
"She has plenty of size and will jump a fence, she is related to Mighty Man. She's only five and has been on the go a while so we'll speak to Frank (Frank Berry - racing manager for JP McManus) and see what they are thinking but to get that under her belt is fantastic."
Additional reporting by Gary Carson