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Michael Graham

Michael Graham

La Dame Blanche takes feature for Ross and Whelan

Mon 22nd Jul 2024, 19:46

La Dame Blanche forges on homeLa Dame Blanche forges on home
© Photo Healy Racing

La Dame Blanche resumed winning ways for Willie Ross with a tough display in the featured Tote Guarantee Available On-Course Handicap at Ballinrobe.

She was keen in the early stages, but settled better once Ronan Whelan allowed her to stride on.

The five-year-old was there to be shot at in the final quarter of a mile, but showed her resolution as she had the placed horses on the stretch in the final furlong.

She won by a length and a-half from Mr Lincoln (5/1) with No Hassle (9/4f) a head back in third.

La Dame Blanche was unplaced in a valuable fillies' handicap in Ascot earlier in the month but, prior to that, won the Cork Derby.

Whelan said: "Dermot Kilmartin (owner) does a lot of the work with her and took no chances, he took her down to the start early and got her relaxed. She can just be a bit over-anxious.

"I was happy enough to slot in but then we parked and she was kind of fighting me so I left her go on, I didn't want her to be wasting energy.

"She wings around these tracks, she was with the Mulvanys before and they educate them really well. Once I got a fill into her down the back, I was always confident I'd stay going, she's gutsy out.

"Dermot said to forget about her run in Ascot the last day, she didn't do a stroke. They decided to change things up and take the hood off her which was a risk for a keen-going filly, but they got it spot on."

Additional reporting by Mark Nunan

About Michael Graham
Michael has worked in horse racing journalism for more than 15 years, having also written a weekly betting column on Gaelic football and hurling for a newspaper. He is involved in writing the My Racing Story features on this website. He spent a year in South Africa completing a Diploma in Business Administration and also studied Newspaper Journalism in Belfast. He enjoys playing 5-a-side football on a regular basis.