Coralillo makes winning debut for Harty team

Father and son Eddie and Patrick Harty look to have a nice prospect on their hands in the shape of Coralillo who made a winning debut in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Fairyhouse.

The more experienced Finsceal Go Deo made much of the running and looked set to skip clear when still ahead at the furlong pole.

Colin Keane produced another debutant in Valkyrian with a strong challenge at that point but the pair were soon joined by Chris Hayes on the eventual winner.

Hayes delivered the Middleham Park racing owned filly with a sweeping run down the outside to go past both Finsceal Go Deo and Valkyrian before asserting for a comfortable success.

“Myself and Tom Palin, from Middleham Park, have been trying for the last year to buy the right horse to make sure our first venture together was the right one,” said Patrick Harty.

“I went to three breeze-up sales in England and got outbid at them all. I came back here and Eddie Linehan had been telling me about this filly since the first breeze-up sale.

“She was maybe slightly over budget but we just liked everything about her. She was the second fastest filly and the third overall so she's obviously very quick.

“She was very quick at home and we thought Fairyhouse today would suit her.

“I think she's very good and we have her in the Ballyhane Stakes on August 1st. We're hoping that would be a race she's up to competing in, there is a lot of money on the line.

“I didn't see anything there today that would deter me from that plan.

“You hear an awful lot of things before the race, such and such fancies their horse. We'll focus on the Ballyhane and then maybe think about some black-type.

“We're big fans of this auction series, particularly for fillies that are bought at the lower end of the price spectrum. She's won a €15,000 race today and is also eligible for a €10,000 sales voucher.”

Additional reporting by Gary Carson