Kirati Beach and Billy Lee, yellow and blue© Photo Healy Racing
Paddy Twomey and Billy Lee continued their blistering form when teaming up with Kirati Beach to land the three-year-old maiden in Ballinrobe.
An extended nine furlongs was the trip and Lee's mount broke well from stall eight to lead after a furlong. Explorers Way was headed and tracked the pair. Fiddlers Green was pushed along to try and close on the leader racing to the final quarter of a mile, however, he was soon seen off.
Lee drove his mount into the straight and she made the best way home despite Explorers Way renewing his effort in the final furlong.
The winner fended him off by a diminishing neck to reward those who backed her down to 85/40. Explorers Way went off 2/1 favourite after drifting out from 5/4. Silent Prayer was a length and three parts back in third at 4/1.
Twomey, who is now six from seven runners at Ballinrobe, said: “I love it here. It’s a beautiful facility, the ground is always perfect, there’s always a great crowd here. It’s just a very well presented place and, for whatever reason, our horses seem to enjoy bowling along in front here. It suits a front-runner and our horses enjoy front-running.
“She was very green on debut (at Limerick) and poor Oisin Orr actually cracked his shin when he fell off her after the line. I was delighted with her that day and we came home from Sligo very disappointed. She was a little bit keen in behind horses there and, kind of, emptied herself out. We gave her a month to freshen up and I gave her one little bit of work last Wednesday and I was very happy with her. I thought this track might suit her.
“She’s keen to get on with things at home and likes getting going so I figured that, even from the wide draw, she’d a chance of getting across. She’s a nice, well-bred filly, a sister to Sir Erec. I’d like her to strengthen up a little bit and ideally she might get a bit of black-type at some point in her career but, for now, if we can find a handicap for her we’ll work forward from there.”
Additional reporting by Mark Nunan
