Fairy swoops late to land the spoils

JOHN OXX, who was on the mark with Kastoria at York yesterday, completed a Listed-race double when Fairy Of The Night landed the Fairy Bridge Stakes at Tipperary last night.

“She did serious damage to her heel when scoring at Gowran Park and it is great she has won this”, said Jimmy O'Neill, assistant to Oxx.

The remarkable Homegrown, who has shot up the weights in handicaps and was badly treated by the conditions here, looked the likely winner early in the straight.

But in-form Fran Berry conjured a tremendous late surge from his filly and Fairy Of The Night nailed Homegrown close home.

“We tried her over a mile and three and she didn't stay, even though her pedigree suggested she would”, said O'Neill. “A mile or seven furlongs is ideal, there are no plans, this was the plan.” The stewards called an inquiry, but soon concluded there was no need for any action.

Earlier in the evening the Oxx-Berry combination struck with Noelani, 4-6 to 2-5, in the Tipperary Maiden. Just as on her debut at Naas, the daughter of Indian Ridge wasn't the fastest away, but quickened into the lead a furlong and a half down to beat Cookier Cutter decisively.

Commented O'Neill: “The ground is the key, she has to get her toe in.”

The brace took Berry's tally for the campaign to 58, as he continues to blaze the trail in the jockeys’ championship. Berry, however, was suspended for one day for using his whip in front of the saddle in the forehand position on Fairy Of The Night.

Michael Halford's once-raced Sakkara Star totally outclassed the opposition in the Irish Stallion Farms' EBF Fillies Maiden.

She is the first horse to win for Anita O'Leary, wife of Ryanair supremo, Michael. Johnny Murtagh took the daughter of Mozart to the front well over a furlong out and she quickened in style to score unextended by three and a half lengths.

Sakkara Star made no show on her debut at Leopardstown and Halford explained: “We thought plenty of her going there, but she was green and free. We dropped in tonight and it worked.”

Halford, also on the scoreboard at Bellewstown, took his tally to 39 when Princess Nala coasted to victory in the Irish Masiden Rated Race.

She swept ahead for Murtagh two furlongs out, stretching right away from Streets Of Gold, once again proving a costly failure.

Said Halford: “She's a handy size, but has a big heart. She loves cut, stays and will now go for some black type.”

The Curragh handler has his charges in terrific shape and is now a long way clear of his previous best for a season, 29.

Sandwiched between those two victories, Murtagh was also on the mark aboard Marfooq in the Pride of Tipperary Handicap, producing the Diesis gelding with impeccable timing to power past Nyasa inside the furlong pole.

Before half way Tin Town Boy clipped heels and crashed to the ground, bringing down Kompressor in the process. Fortunately the pilot involved, Chris Hayes and Helen Keohane, escaped with little more than a good shaking.