Racing: Mick Halford's decision to bypass the six furlong handicap with his filly Miss Emma in favour of the listed Woodlands Stakes over the same trip yielded handsome dividends at Naas yesterday when she prevailed in a driving finish under Tadhg O'Shea.
After the 12 to 1 shot held the fast finishing One Won One by a rapidly diminishing head with the favourite Final Exam, representing Saturday's 2,000 Guineas winning team of Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen, only sixth Halford revealed: "She had nine stone ten pounds to carry in the six furlong handicap but she worked so well last week plus the fact I didn't fancy the idea of her carrying that sort of weight we decided to have a go."
Michael Kinane, successful aboard Danecare for James Burns in Miss Emma's original target earlier in the afternoon, captured the riding honours at the meeting when he scored on Fontanesi for his boss Aidan O'Brien, who ended a lean spell by his standards when taking the opener at Gowran Park on Sunday with Septimus Severus.
Dermot Weld, who saddled market leader Prominent Feature to finish only fifth here, had better luck later when he supplied the winner of the 10 furlong handicap courtesy of Humilis, the first favourite to oblige during the afternoon at the Kildare track.
Racing opened with a maiden over the minimum trip and after the well-backed newcomer Twice Royal refused to load the contest was reduced to 11 runners with Almost Dancing landing the spoils for David Wachman and Kevin Manning from stall 12 which proved a significant advantage over the sprint trips throughout the afternoon.
U2's Bono and actor Robert de Niro were in deep discussion with trainer Dermot Weld before the concluding fillies maiden over a mile in which his filly Indian Belle, owned by Sean Mulryan, chased home impressive newcomer Dossier.
It was Downpatrick jockey Tony Dobbin's day at Down Royal yesterday when he won his first race at the track.
Dobbin was successful on Glynn Dingle in the Daily Mirror Handicap Chase and he said afterwards: "This was only my fourth mount on the course and I am delighted to have broken the ice."
Earlier in the day the Governor's cup beginners chase had gone to French Cedar trained by the in-form Jessica Harrington.
The big hunter chase of the day went to Irish Stout trained by Jerry Cromwell. Irish Stout took up the running three fences from home at which stage the long time leader William Ulsterman fell.
