Prior to the mares' bumper race, discussions swirled around point-to-point graduate Lady Rose Hackett and Willie Mullins' new entry, Lady Gooner. However, it was Madge A Chroi who emerged as the star of the show.
The relatively inexperienced daughter of Shantou, who had only raced once before, made a significant leap forward. Madge A Chroi, who had finished fifth in a mares' bumper at Cork just a month ago, demonstrated remarkable progress.
Under the guidance of Ray Barron, she surged ahead of the 7/4 joint favourite, Lady Gooner, leaving her behind a furlong and a half from the finish line. With an impressive performance in the final stages, Madge A Chroi clinched victory by three and a half lengths, defying the odds at 14/1 after being initially offered at 40/1 in the morning.
Lady Gooner secured the second position, with a margin of a length and a half ahead of Dansanttothetune at 18/1.
Trainer Charles Byrnes commented on Madge A Chroi's performance, highlighting her lineage as a granddaughter of the successful eight-time winner, Cailin Alainn. Byrnes expressed satisfaction with her previous race and noted the underwhelming performance of other contenders. Despite the pre-race hype, the owners placed each-way bets, which paid off.
Taking advantage of the EBF 5,000 bonus eligibility, the team is now contemplating entering Madge A Chroi in another bumper race, with plans to transition to hurdling in the upcoming season.