The owners of a horse bought for just over €700 last year were celebrating this evening after it earned a massive €60,000 in prize money for winning today's feature race at Fairyhouse.
Favourite Skyace obliged in the 3.20 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final, a first Grade 1 victory for the mare.
Trained by J J 'Shark' Hanlon, the horse is owned by an Irish 10-member syndicate named 'Birdinthehand'.
And the filly was picked up by Hanlon for just £600 (€705) last year, and after performing well at Cheltenham last month, had enough to secure the breakthrough win.
A video has emerged online that shows some of the owners roaring her home from Abu Dhabi as they erupted in celebration as she crossed the line.
Skyace travelled strongly on the heels of the leaders for much of the way, but after taking over the lead early in the home straight, she looked at the mercy of the strong-travelling Gauloise between the final two flights.
However, Jody McGarvey’s mount refused to bend and managed to hold off the Mullins-trained runner by half a length.
Hanlon, saddling the first Grade One winner of his career, said: “It’s great – she’s as tough as nails.
“She came home from Cheltenham and I said she was better coming out of it than she was before she went.
“I was afraid of the mares that hadn’t ran in Cheltenham more than the ones that had. I just felt she’s in great form, she’s tough and it’s great to have one like her.
“Everyone wants to have one Grade One winner and for me to have one is great.
“I think it’s great for racing as it shows you can get a small-priced filly and get a syndicate together and go and have fun.
“It’s great for the lads that own her. There’s a hundred of them sitting down today in Dubai for a meal – they did the same at Cheltenham – and there’ll be a few roars.
“I honestly thought she couldn’t get beat today.”
