She might be called Bean Chroi Bhriste but the chestnut daughter of Broken Hearted had the opposite effect on her trainer Michael Flannery as she delighted the Ballinrobe handler by getting up late to prevail under substitute rider David Casey in the Irish Stallion Farms European Breeders Fund Mares Maiden Hurdle at Sligo.
Bean Chroi Bhriste's original jockey Niall 'Slippers' Madden was stood down for the day after suffering a fall from Merdaam in the opener and Casey was called-in to get the 20/1 shot to power home to pip the always up there, Benefit Of Porter by half a length.
Flannery said: "That was badly needed. David Casey was more interested in watching the Munster Final than riding her but he is glad he did now. I thought she might have needed this but she had form like finishing sixth in a Navan maiden hurdle and that was good enough for here."
Michael Heery, the winning owner and breeder is from Portmarnock in Dublin and this was his first winner on the track. His fishing in County Mayo brought him into contact with Flannery.
