'It was a class ride' - Ronan Whelan at his best as he steers Elinor Dashwood to impressive win for Ado McGuinness

Elinor Dashwood got off the mark for Ado McGuinness in the feature 7f fillies' and mares' handicap in authoritative style when charging two and a quarter lengths clear of Barnhill Rose.

A winner of a Haydock maiden for Kevin Ryan last season, the three-year-old was having her fourth start for McGuinness and relished the step up in trip after finishing fifth over six and a half furlongs at the Curragh 11 days earlier.

Ronan Whelan settled her last but one of the six runners early on and the 4-1 shot began to find generously at the furlong pole to blast clear of the field in impressive fashion.

McGuinness said: "She was very free at Naas and I decided to put her asleep at the Curragh the last day. We learned a lot from her there over six furlongs with the way she came home.

“I said to Ronan to put her asleep again and ride her cold, which he did, and she relaxed really well and looks a million dollars. She quickened twice. She quickened to get to them and quickened to go away from them. It was a class ride.

"She'll get further and she might go for the big fillies' handicap at the Curragh. If not, we could look at Galway."

Thalara belies long absence

Thalara overcame an absence of 630 days to land the 1m1½f maiden in excellent style on her stable debut for Henry de Bromhead.

The filly finished fourth on her debut at the Curragh in September 2022 when trained by Ken Condon and hadn't been seen on the track since, but she showed no signs of rustiness as Billy Lee steered her to an impressive length-and-a-half success.

"It was her first run for a while and Billy said she was a bit fresh but ran on really well in the end," said the winning trainer. "She's probably still a bit green but she's a lovely filly with a great pedigree."

Weld full of praise for Caffrey

Adam Caffrey steered home a winner on his first ride for Dermot Weld when Tachos showed a gutsy attitude to cling on by a neck in the 1m1½f apprentice handicap.

The three-year-old was getting off the mark at the sixth attempt and the winning trainer was effusive in his praise for the man in the saddle.

Weld said: "I thought he gave her an excellent ride. We've got some good apprentices in this country. James Ryan rode a winner for me on Friday night at Fairyhouse and gave him a very good ride, and Adam gave that filly a lovely ride. They're very promising young riders.

"She's a gorgeous filly, has a lovely attitude and is very laid-back. That's probably her right trip, she's a mile-and-a-quarter filly. During the summer hopefully there is another one for her."

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