Grade 3 Win Tops Treble For Walk In The Park

Eabha Grace (6m Walk In The Park - Myska, by Presenting) became Walk In The Park’s second black-type winner in as many days when taking the Grade 3 Shannon Spray Mares Novice Hurdle at Limerick.

An impressive winner of her maiden hurdle, the Willie Mullins-trained mare stepped up in trip on Sunday and was ridden in touch by Conor McNamara. Travelling the best of the field when leading at the second last, she ran on well close home to score by two and a quarter lengths, with another 26 lengths back to the rest of the field.

Speaking after the race, the winning rider said, “Eabha Grace came back to form here and loved that bit of soft ground. Every time she was asked she came up for you.”

Owned by the John Battersby Racing Syndicate and bred by Kenneth Parkhill, Eabha Grace first earned black-type in a Listed bumper last season.

Meanwhile at Naas, Willie Mullins took the opening maiden hurdle with recent bumper winner Nick Rockett (6g Walk In The Park - Eireann Rose, by Flemensfirth).

Successful on debut for Pat Doyle, Mullins’ recruit was sent off favourite on his hurdle bow and won by two and a half lengths going away. Bred by Kieran Cotter, Nick Rockett is owned by Stewart and Sadie Andrew.

Later that afternoon at Warwick, dual hurdle winner Haute Estime (6m Walk In The Park - Terre Haute, by Oscar) got off the mark over fences in the Mares’ Novices’ Chase.

Trained by Lucinda Russell for Brahms and Liszt, the bay was delivered later by Patrick Wadge and kept on well on the run-in to win by half a length. The front pair finished clear of the field.

Haute Estime was bred by Denis Duggan out of Terre Haute (Oscar), who has a four-year-old filly by Soldier Of Fortune.