Sarah O'Brien off the mark - in Ladies Derby For a girl partnering their first winner, Sarah O'Brien gave Beach Of Falesa a great ride to land the Boylesports.com Ladies Derby Handicap for her mother Annmarie and father Aidan (a double after Bye Bye Birdie earlier). She's competed at the highest level as a teenager in the eventing sphere and here Sarah covered Beach Of Falesa up at the back. Basically the Dylan Thomas filly didn't even know she was in a race until getting into the clear from the quarter mile pole. From some way out Jane Mangan had been making the best of her way home on Jim Bolger's Eighteen Summers but Beach Of Falesa was soon in hot pursuit. She came with an irresistible run to sweep past Eighteen Summers to score by two lengths with the same distance back to the Katie Walsh-ridden favourite Manuka. Aidan O'Brien commented: "That's great, I'm delighted – that's a special one. "It's a great day and it's a great track to do it on. "She's a filly that likes being waited with and she couldn't have waited much longer." Sarah O'Brien herself explained: "She did it very well. Ana (her sister) rode her a few times and told me what she's like. "My one had plenty up her sleeve turning in, she was still going fairly well. I was happy – she doesn't like to get to the front too early so it suited me well. "I'll keep riding away and hopefully I might go to college next year." (GC & EM)
