PATRICK Mullins equalled Ted Walsh's record of 545 winners as an amateur with a hard-fought success on Irish Lass at Limerick.

Mullins had to work hard to get the 4/9 favourite past the post first in the Book Online At www.limerickraces.ie Mares Maiden Hurdle, after quite a dramatic finish.

Settled behind the leaders, she came through to lead before the second-last, but almost ran out at that flight, hampering Gambling Mistress in the process. Having lost the lead at that crucial point, the Willie Mullins-trained five-year-old rallied gamely on the run-in to snatch the verdict by a short-head from Harrys Gift.

"She did well to win considering she all but refused the second-last, which was just greenness as it was her third lifetime run," said the winning rider. She also made a mistake at the last and with the two mistakes she did well to win.

"I think she's a very good mare and I think she'll get blacktype over hurdles and could possibly go Galway now, although we might do a little schooling with her at home first!

"Her dam (Screaming Witness) was my first ride on a racetrack (at Thurles, December 2005), so it's a nice bit of symmetry today and I also had my first career winner here in June, 2006. It's nice to equal the record."

Mullins will have to wait to break the record after the well-backed Dolly Dancer could finish only fourth in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies' INH Flat Race.

Sent off the 11/8 favourite, Dolly Dancer hit the front in the straight but her bid was short-lived as Run For Mary (12/1) made a winning debut for trainer Charles Byrnes.

Mullins has one chance at the record on Sunday when he rides Queens Boulevard for his father in the Blind Tiger Flat Race.