Following her impressive 10-length victory at Ballinrobe last month, Royal Hollow, ridden by Cian Quirke, continued her strong form with a decisive win in the Panda Mares Hurdle.
Initially priced at 7/2 for the two-mile and a furlong race, the six-year-old trained by Andy Slattery was backed into 7/4 before drifting to a final starting price of 5/2.
From the outset, the Beat Hollow chestnut established the lead, jumping well throughout. She pulled clear from the third-last hurdle and cruised to an eight-and-a-half length victory, representing owner and breeder Margaret O'Rourke.
James Barrett's Dame Rapide (12/1) finished second under Daniel King, while Disco Dancer (6/1) was a further three-and-a-half lengths back in third. Willie Mullins’ horses, Four Clean Aces and Crack The Sky, took fourth and sixth, with Crack The Sky, the 9/4 favourite, ridden by Danny Mullins.
Slattery commented on Royal Hollow's performance: "We have high hopes for her. She struggled in bumpers but has settled well over hurdles. We decided to let her run more freely today, and it worked well. She should have won most of her bumpers, but the hurdles suit her better. She has speed and is entered in a Flat race at Gowran next week, but we’re also considering a Listed hurdle there and possibly the mares’ novice at Down Royal. We’ll assess her progress and decide on her next steps accordingly."