Carla Ridge and Chris Hayes© Photo Healy Racing
The Eddie and Patrick Harty trained 100/1 shot Carla Ridge caused a huge upset when romping away with the opening Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Naas.
Some 15 lengths behind the winner when beating only two horses home on her debut at the Curragh last month, the daughter of New Bay took a significant step forward from that initial effort.
Smartly away from stall 11, jockey Chris Hayes switched his mount to the far rail, heading early leader Lunigiana after a furlong.
With the latter coming under pressure over two furlongs from the finish, Hayes found a willing partner who extended inside the last furlong to run out an easy two-and-a-quarter-length winner. Miracle Beauty stayed on late to take second, with early pace setter Lunigiana back in third.
Patrick Harty said: “She's a beautiful filly and we loved her from the day we saw her in Arqana at the breeze-ups. She was highly recommended by Katie McGivern.
“We just wanted to give her a nice day out at the Curragh, first tine out. She was a little bit disappointing, we thought she would beat a few more home and finish mid-division.
“We were very conscious that she wanted to go to the races and enjoy her day out and she did that. As far as she was concerned racing was the best game as she had a lovely time out. She came home and was out in the paddock within 45 minutes of the race.
“She did today what we all hoped she was capable of, winning a maiden and showing a bit of promise that she might be a stakes filly.
“She's a nice size and is bred to probably stay a little bit further too.
“I'm delighted with how well she relaxed. Dan Kiely is a great owner and a good friend of ours so it's great to have a nice one for him.
“We're enjoying an Indian summer so while the ground is still on the nice side we might have a look and see what stakes races are around.
“A Listed race over six or a Group race, maybe stepping up to seven around a bend. I wouldn't rule out running again this year.”
Additional reporting by Gary Carson.
