THERE could not have been a more appropriate winner of the Listed Coolmore Champs Elysees EBF Mares’ Flat Race at Fairyhouse last weekend than Fayonagh.

On the same day that a Grade 3 race for mares was run in honour of Solerina, the John Bowe-bred Fayonagh, out of a half-sister to that great racemare, ran out a 20-length winner and added valuable blacktype to her race record and to the family pedigree.

Winner of a mares’ bumper at Naas last November, Fayonagh was sent to the Tattersalls Ireland Cheltenham December Sale and sold from Richard Rath’s Ballybawn Stables for £64,000 to Maura Gittens, who put the daughter of Kalanisi in training with Gordon Elliott. Fayonagh finished well clear of another daughter of the Boardsmill stallion, Sassy Diva, and she in turn was 15 lengths and more ahead of the remaining 11 runners.

Solerina brought great joy to the Bowe family in a career on the track that saw her compile a record of 22 wins from 40 starts, 18 of them over hurdles. She was a Fairyhouse favourite where she won the Grade 1 Hatton’s Grace Hurdle three times, beating her half-brother Florida Coast on one occasion and slamming Brave Inca by six lengths on another. She beat Hardy Eustace a couple of times, including in a Grade 1 novice hurdle at Leopardstown, and gave an eight-length hiding to Kicking King too over hurdles.

Fayonagh is the first winner for her Taipan dam Fair Ina who won a bumper and, together with Solerina and Florida Coast, is one of three winners from the Deep Run mare Deep Peace. Deep Peace was placed many times over hurdles but failed to win, though five of her siblings were successful.

This is also the family of the Grade 1 Cheltenham Festival winner Massini’s Maguire.

Breeders, stallion masters and readers are invited to contact Leo Powell at leopowell@theirishfield.ie with news and updates for the column, and to visit our website www.theirishfield.ie for daily breeding news