Plan comes to fruition with Rocco Bay

Rocco Bay made a more than pleasing hurdling debut in the RED MILLS EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle at Limerick.

Trainer Peter Fahey enjoys this series having won the last two finals in Punchestown and has another contender on his hands.

Rocco Bay who was last seen easily winning a Bangor-on-Dee bumper 12 days ago, stalked Itwasfate and got on terms four out.

She went on after the next and travelled strongly into the straight. The pursuers were hard at work in behind and she readily popped the last to draw clear on the run-in.

The Shirocco mare scored by four lengths at 9/4. Senecia ran well in second at 80/1 and was four lengths clear of Vinnie Is Busy who was left third after 6/5 favourite Itwasfate fell at the last when beaten.

Fahey said: "She’s very consistent and when she came back in this season, this was her plan because she was qualified for all the bonuses. She picks up 27 grand (including a €10,000 sales voucher and a €5,000 fillies’ bonus) for winning today which is unbelievable and it’s a huge initiative.

“The series is a great initiative for fillies and with the clients we have, we don’t have the huge money to go and pay the big money for stores. She was only a €20,000 store and to come out there today and win €27,000 is great.

"With her pedigree, she’s a half-sister to Tully East, and nearly everything out of the dam has won, I was keen to try win a bumper, so we slotted in Bangor and hoped we’d get her back here for this, and it worked out great."

“She’ll tip away during the summer and hopefully she’ll nick a bit of black type somewhere along the way."

Additional reporting by Tom Weekes