CHARMING CIARA produced a dominant display to win the €3000 Martin Fahy Memorial in Galway on Saturday.
Landing the feature for Tulla trainer Donal Duggan and her owners Tom and Ciara Kelly, Charming Ciara brought the momentum from her impressive semi-final in the previous week to the feature event. With a flawless front-running performance, there was no stopping her even though Deadly Ace was installed as the 5/4 favourite.
Drawn in trap four, Charming Ciara was electric at traprise and immediately asserted on the run-up, posting an identical 3.32 sectional to the one that saw her land her semi-final assignment. Elsewhere, the field converged approaching the opening bend and inevitable crowding ensued, allowing the daughter of Grangeview Ten and Marlay Star to establish a commanding seven-length advantage entering the back straight. From there, it proved little more than a procession. Maintaining a relentless gallop throughout, Charming Ciara powered around the bottom two bends before stretching further clear in the closing stages to record a hugely impressive ten-and-a-half-length victory over Pierview Big Rob, who stayed on to claim second. Stopping the clock in a career-best 29.21.20s, it was a performance worthy of bringing the curtain down on this year’s Martin Fahy Memorial, which was very kindly sponsored by the Fahy family.
The final of the Horan Family Sweepstake Syndicate 525 also featured on the card and it was Brickhill Dolly that came with a devastating late charge to land the €1,200 first prize and shed her maiden tag in style.
Installed as the 6/4 joint favourites after their respective semi-final victories, Kiltartan Chosen and Magical Eloise headed the market for the decider, and it was the former that made the early running. Breaking smartly from trap two, the Albert Mullins-trained runner disputed the lead with Poppys Oreo in five before asserting around the opening bend to seize control as he bid for a third career success.
Magical Eloise, meanwhile, quickly overcame a tardy start, displaying tremendous pace to work her way into contention. Brickhill Dolly owned by Clare natives John Collins and Albert Long was also making eye-catching progress along the inside and the daughter of Grangeview Ten and Twentylittletoes soon found herself in a menacing position approaching the bottom two bends. Although Kiltartan Chosen still held the aces at this stage, he was becoming something of a sitting duck as both Magical Eloise and Brickhill Dolly loomed large entering the final bend. Brickhill Dolly had shaped like a greyhound capable of making her presence felt throughout the competition despite arriving in search of a first career success, and the 3/1 chance duly delivered. Turning the screw brilliantly upon straightening for home, she powered up the Galway hill to cross the line four lengths clear of the gallant Kiltartan Chosen, who lost little in defeat after another tremendous effort. Ozark Magic stayed on well to fill the podium places. The winning time of 29.11 .20s was a fitting conclusion to another terrific renewal of the Horan Family Syndicate 525.
