Family lunges late to grab valuable win

Echoes Of Family gained a valuable winning bracket when lunging late to land the spoils in the BoyleSports Mares Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse.

The grey mare was held up in the early stages of the two-mile-five contest before being produced with a surging run after the last by Mike O'Connor.

She chased down the well backed I'll Be That Lady (25/1 into 13/2) close home to get up for a half length success.

The 7/1 winner is trained by father and son team Eddie and Patrick Harty and the latter said:-

“I don't think think I've ever got more of a kick out of any winner. It's brilliant.

“She's the first horse to run in my own name. Brian Whelan is our sponsor, Bermingham Cameras, and when he got involved in sponsoring the yard he was keen to find something to have a racing interest in for himself and the family.

“They are a father and son operation as well and it mirrors us nicely. I told him she was consistent and we'd knock a bit of sport out of her.

“For Brian's sponsored jockey to ride her at the Irish National meeting in my own colours means a lot.

“She was never placed in a race until she was a nine-year-old. I was third in a point-to-point on her last May. She has only been out of the first three twice since then.

“Mike gave her a peach of a ride because looking at it live I didn't think she was jumping as fluently as she can, she's normally very quick.

“He had work to do coming into the straight but I had told him to have something to aim at coming to the last and hopefully momentum would carry him over the line. He couldn't have executed it better.”

Echoes Of Family was placed in Grade 2 company when chasing home Envoi Allen at Down Royal in October and Harty added:-

“There is nothing going on in the pedigree apart from her so how much value she has I don't know but it doesn't matter. She's a lot of fun for us.”