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Festival Opera stages encore and takes Smith-Chaston to debut Irish victory
Festival Opera takes Emma Smith-Chaston to her first Irish point-to-point success at DurrowCredit: Healy Racing
British rider Emma Smith-Chaston made her first ride in an Irish point a winning one.
Victory came on Festival Opera, an eight-length winner of the Tom Malone Bloodstock winner-of-one race in the colours of trainer Philip Dempsey.
It was a stellar training performance by the Kildare native as the son of Milan was returning from a long layoff, having last been seen at Kilbeggan in 2016.
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more inRegulars
- 'This is something I said I would never do' - Alice Haynes's racing manager takes on second job as agent to David Egan
- 'We have superb facilities and it's a fantastic place to train horses' - former greyhound trainer arrives in Lambourn
- No 11th title for Gina Andrews as Izzie Marshall makes mission impossible a reality with a bit to spare
- Irish pointing graduates take centre stage at Aintree looking for a fourth successive Grand National win
- Tower Of London was more impressive than the bare result, but will he come back or go up in distance for future targets?