Nancy Wyse bounced back to her best when she ran out a battling winner of the p2p.ie mares’ point-to-point bumper at Tipperary on Thursday evening.
Refusing to settle off what was a very steady early gallop over the course of the opening mile, the six-year-old pulled her way through to hear the long-time leader Rosa Gloriosa with a mile to race and instantly increased the pace of the race as she opened up a couple of lengths advantage.
Turning for home Gerard Quirk’s homebred faced a whole host of challengers however in the end it proved to be the aforementioned Rosa Gloriosa who provided the sternest test, keeping the Mahler mare honest all the way to the line, however Shane O’Rourke’s mount had enough in reserves to prevail by half a length over the recent Kilbeggan runner-up with the well-backed newcomer Kilbarry Chloe coming through to take the third spot.
The 3/1 favourite Golden Bidar could only manage fifth.
The victory marked a return to form for Nancy Wyse who had won a Lingstown maiden in November when getting the better of the subsequent easy Fairyhouse hurdle winner Norwigi, the dual point winner Current Mood and Dazzling Glory who herself has now won twice under rules all in behind her at the Wexford venue.
Winning rider Shane O’Rourke, who was recording his first success under rules, said: “I won a point-to-point on her at Lingstown and she beat that mare out of Enda Bolger’s.
“We were going no gallop early on and she was very keen. That was very surprising as the few times I have rode her in work she has never picked it up, she has been lovely. Something lit her up today and I couldn’t even try and hold her.
“They usually don’t finish after that but I get her to the rail and on she went and she was never going to get caught.
