APOLLO’S Comet just held on to win the opening Irish EBF Auction Series Race to kick off a double for Jessica Harrington and Shane Foley. Sent off 2/1 favourite, the Omega Racing, Seamus McGowan and Niall McInerney-owned filly withheld the late challenge of Sea Of Rain by a nose.

Assistant trainer Kate Harrington said: “She had a lovely run the first day. She didn’t get the clearest of gaps at the bottom of the home straight in Fairyhouse. I think she would have been a lot closer.

“In turn, she didn’t get a hard race that day. This looked a nice opportunity. It’s not many Mehmas’ get into these auction races, so it just looked a nice opportunity for her and she just got there and did enough.

“She is a lovely filly for next year. We’ll give her a bit of time and bring her back maybe the end of July.”

Echo Inferno brought up a double for Harrington and Foley in the 1878 At 3Arena Maiden.

Step forward

Owned by Silverton Hill Partnership, the 2/1 chance stayed on best to win by one and three-quarter lengths. Kate Harrington reported: “He was a big, weak horse last year and, we knew he’d step forward from his seasonal debut. He absolutely loved that ground and loved the step up in trip.

“I think he’s a horse that could be a really nice stayer in the making and, even whatever he does this year, is going to be a bonus for when he even strengthens up a bit more next year. I think he could definitely be up to a stakes horse.”

Shane Foley recorded a treble as Heliogabalus won the Bulmers Live Handicap for trainer Sean Byrne.

Sent off 14/1, the gelding carried the colours of Mrs Brenda Byrne to a neck success. Assistant trainer Sean Byrne jnr said: “First run back - we thought we had him fit enough, but you don’t know until you go to the track. He dead-heated in Galway last year, so it was great to get the actual win.

“The plan is to go back (to Galway). We are all aiming towards Galway anyway, he seems to like it around there.”

ADO McGuinness and Adam Caffrey were also successful twice on the evening. Goal Exceeded stayed on strongly to justify 11/4 favouritism in the Boyle Sports Money Back If 2nd To SP Fav Handicap. Owned by Ms Hazel McGuinness, Martin White, Declan Sheridan and Breen White, the gelding scored by two and a quarter lengths.

McGuinness said: “He wasn’t winning out of turn. He was being a little bit frustrating after last year. He won a good race up the Curragh on Guineas weekend. I thought the ground was going to be a bit too lively for him, but he just about got away with it.

“We’ll maybe go back to the Curragh next week. There’s a six and a seven (furlongs). We might go back there. We’ll see what the handicapper does with him. Thanks be to God, he got his head in front for the lads. We’ll look at the Curragh next weekend and see.”

Johnny Soda completed the brace in the Boyle Sports Home Of The Early Payout Rated Race.

Sent off 4/1, the Go Nutz Racing Syndicate-owned three-year-old stayed on best under Caffrey to post a half-length win. McGuinness said: “We were very, very close to taking him out. Adam got off Goal Exceeded and said ‘I wouldn’t run that chesnut horse. I think it’ll be too quick for him’. He is a big horse and he is quite a heavy horse as well. You wouldn’t want that type of ground now too often for him.

“Adam was good on him. We said we’d just jump out and we knew there was plenty of pace on and he did that. He picked up well and galloped to the line well. I think the likes of Galway could suit this fella. I think there is a nice three-year-old only 0-90 down there and that’s probably where he’ll head now.”

CHIPSRDOWN took Division l of the 1878 At 3Arena Handicap for Andrew Slattery. Ridden by his son, Andrew jnr, the 7/2 favourite kept on best to win by one and a half lengths.

The winning trainer said of the Howard family-owned filly: “She deserved it. I nearly wasn’t going to run her, only the lads are from Swords, in Dublin. I thought the ground was gone too fast for her.

“We thought she’d win in Killarney one day and the ground was quick and she never rose a gallop. Probably the visors are helping. We’ll step her up to a mile and a quarter now probably as well.”

Well backed

Dick Brabazon landed Division ll of the 1878 At 3Arena Handicap with Yquem. A well-backed 9/2 chance (from 12/1), the Mrs Sonia Rogers and Anthony Rogers-owned filly posted a three-and-a-half-length success under Chris Hayes.

Brabazon said: “With the few we have, just looking at them riding out, they are just in form.

“You get to the middle of summer and horses are just well in themselves and they are out in the field for a couple of hours. They are just in a good place. She was very well handicapped, obviously, if she was ever going to put it right.

“She is a Wootton Bassett out of a Galileo mare, so it was very important to get a win. She is in foal to Phoenix Of Spain, so that’s even more exciting.

“Chris thinks that there is another race in her, so we’ll keep going for another couple of months anyway.”

Walsh winner

Gaoth Chuil won the concluding Boyle Sports Squad Builder (Q.R.) Maiden for Ted Walsh and Lee Shanahan.

Carrying the colours of Michael Ryan, the 7/1 chance got up late for a half-length win.

Walsh said: “Her runs were good enough to suggest she’d be there or thereabouts. This time last year, she was fourth in it behind two good horses, Royal Hollow and McManus’s good horse (A Dream To Share).

“She might win a two-mile handicap on the flat. She’s just not mad about fences. She doesn’t just attack a fence - she jumps it, but she doesn’t attack it. You need to do that, especially in the summertime.”