Bella Bliss and Brian Hayes © Photo Healy Racing
Bella Bliss could afford to ease down in the closing stages as she opened her account in style at Sligo this afternoon.
The John McConnell-trained mare had been in the money on her previous three outings over timber, all at Downpatrick, and was well supported (from 5/2 into 13/8f) to make the breakthrough today.
Brian Hayes went to the front at the second flight on his mount after front-runner Ayda jammed on the brakes.
The eventual winner was asked for an effort after the second last flight and soon scooted clear.
Hayes could afford to look around for non-existent dangers late on as his mount recorded a seven-length success in the mares maiden hurdle.
McConnell said: “She was due that. She'd been very unlucky the time before and probably came up against a decent horse the last day.
"Being left in front didn't help as she's still a baby. She has plenty of ability and will probably be a better chaser.
"We probably took too long to win with her but we got there in the end and hopefully we'll kick on from this.
"She may go for something across the water in a couple of weeks and she''ll be better up in trip.
"I don't think she wants deep winter ground but she'll go on yielding. She'll probably get a break around October time and we'll bring her back in the spring."
Hurdle debutant Get Me To The Park ran very freely early on and eventually finished a well-beaten seventh.
(Quotes by Mark Nunan)
