The black and blue colours of the Haughey family were carried to success at Naas last night when Dame Portia made it third time lucky for the season in the EBF Handicap.
Narrowly beaten on her first two starts, Dame Portia made no mistake under the promising apprentice Pat Cosgrave. Dame Portia races in the name of Mrs Maureen Haughey, wife of the former Taoiseach Charles Haughey, and the home-bred daughter of Approach The Bench is trained by their son-in-law John Mulhern.
Apart from Dame Portia and Toto Caelo in the handicap hurdle, it wasn't a great night for punters and the tone was set in the first by Caffrey's Gold whose Tote odds for the Naas Handicap were over 143 to 1.
The stewards inquired into Caffrey's Gold's apparent improvement in form and although trainer Ger Lyons said he was "surprised" with the result, his explanation was noted.
The 16 to 1 Distant Truce was described as a "pleasant surprise" when easily beating the Ballydoyle runner Dream in the second division of the maiden but Straffan-based Irene Oakes was singing a different tune following Frosty Wind's victory in the first division.
"We really fancied him and he is as nice a horse as I've had in a long time. We could go for a Listed race with him and Niall (McCullagh) thinks he will go a mile," said Oakes.
