'These races are so determined by experienced riders' - Liz Doyle praises Maxine O'Sullivan as hot streak continues

Crossabeg trainer Liz Doyle is enjoying a purple patch at the moment, and the diminutive yet consistent First Dare continued the fine run in the ladies' handicap hurdle.

The Beat Hollow filly just missed out at Tramore last month, but under a fine ride from Maxine O'Sullivan, who charted a daring passage on the inside, she won going away by three and a half lengths from Hearts Are Trumps and Ricky Langford.

It was Doyle's third winner from her last four runners after a challenging spring and early summer, but she was quick also to recognise the role of a quality rider in a contest such as this.

She said: "She should nearly have won at Ballinrobe and had a chance at Kilbeggan one day, it's been a series of getting beaten two lengths one day, four lengths another day and things just haven't gone right. But she got a beautiful ride.

"These races are so determined by experienced riders. I rang Maxine a week ago and said that if there was nothing jumping off the page at her that I thought I would go close. That's how ahead of the game you have to be!

"I bred the mare myself, she gave me my first winner as a breeder at Tramore last year, so it's great. This is her game but a little Flat race might not be beyond her somewhere down the line."

On her recent form, she added: "The horses are very healthy at the moment. They were rotten sick earlier in the year and I think I was badly affected by rapeseed in May. Some lovely bumper horses ran appallingly and then I just couldn't get them right. We certainly appreciate days like these."

No lack of confidence with Mullins

After winning the second division of the 1m7f handicap hurdle, trainer Tony Mullins emphasised Duncarrig lacked a bit of confidence.

That certainly did not apply to Mullins' son Danny, who gave his latest exhibition ride as he kept his mount to the wide outside, and then galvanised a tremendous effort from him after a mistake at the final flight looked to have put paid to his chances. A winning margin of half a length over topweight In For The Night did not do justice to his superiority.

Mullins snr said: "Duncarrig lacks confidence but he doesn't lack ability. If we can get his confidence together, he can go much further up the ladder. When he went down to the last, Danny said he should have come up out of his hands but he didn't. It's just confidence with him, maybe he got frightened as a young horse. But he'll improve."

Fahey at the double

The good form of Peter Fahey's string shows no sign of abating and Killarney bumper winner Toto Too readily landed the opening maiden hurdle for him under Keith Donoghue before Galway festival winner Sign From Above prevailed under Mark Walsh in the 2m4f maiden hurdle.

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