Rionach flies home for maiden success

Jet-setting American owner Robert Moran's return trip to west Cork will feel marginally shorter as his Rionach gained a first career win in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Tipperary today for trainer Michael O'Callaghan.

The daughter of Sea The Stars was bought by current connections for E140,000 last October, having shown up well in three maidens for trainer John Murphy and today improved one placing on her May runner-up effort at Dundalk, as she finished well for a length win over Vivianite to score under Champion Jockey Colin Keane.

Trainer O'Callaghan later reported “we only got her at Christmas and we thought a lot of her at home and she has done very well physically. We have been waiting for a bit of nice ground for her as she is a very good moving filly.

“We put the hood on her as she was a little too enthusiastic early in her races and it has doen the job today as she switched off and hit the line well.

“We'll see what the handicapper does but Robert (Moran, owner) breeds horses and hopefully she can get some black-type and be a valuable mare in time.

“It's great because they are here from Florida and have a place in west Cork and come over for the summer; they flew in in a helicopter today because they don't like the windy roads!“

Rionach in Irish translates to “queenly."