Grandma Dotty outbattles red-hot favourite

Grandma Dotty, dashingly ridden by Fran Berry, turned over hot-pot Clondaw Warrior in the Sean Cleary Memorial Handicap in Roscommon last night.

Raised 22lb. by the handicapper for an easy winner at Tramore on Saturday and running under only a mandatory 5lb. penalty, the Willie Mullins-trained Clondaw Warrior was sent off a red-hot 2/9 favourite and, under Pat Smullen, travelled strongly, if a little freely, throughout and looked the likely winner in the straight until headed and outbattled by Charlie Swan’s mare, which won her maiden on this track back in September 2012.

A delighted Swan quipped: “Fran must be nearly as old as me — he won a maiden on this filly here two years ago and also rode her mother High Reef — he won twice on her.