Dual bumper winner Dixie Lee bounced back to winning ways on her racecourse return at Down Royal today, scoring an emphatic win in the Allied Bakeries (Mares) Maiden Hurdle on her return to her former trainer Dermot McLoughlin,

The daughter of Almutawakel won two bumpers for McLoughlin but then raced once for Curragh based trainer and Swedish-native Maria Richert last February.

Returning for McLoughlin today and ridden by Mark Enright, the six year old mare had taken the lead when putting in a bold leap at the final flight. On the run-in, Dixie Lee quickened well for a two lengths win over Delayed Eloquence who was herself returning to familiar territory having also filled the runner-up spot on one run in each of the months June, July and August.

Dixie Lee, backed from 7/1 this morning and returned a 4/1 chance, was today making her hurdles debut and afterwards McLoughlin stated “she's a nice filly and Mark (Enright) said she had plenty and came alive at the third last when he gave her a squeeze. She has a lot of speed and he said he had plenty of horse so it's all good.

"She'll improve from that run and we'll see what the bosses say about coming here in November. She wouldn't want to be running on real winter ground so we'll tip along."

Quotes from Michael Graham