Racing: Tiny filly pays for holiday at her resort

Te Aroha breeder John O'Flaherty is in love with two types of holiday resorts.

The first are the ones with golden sands and long drinks with funny names. The others are the progeny of his late Palm Beach mare Holiday Resort.

O'Flaherty, who bred champion filly Tidal Light, named most of Holiday Resort's foals, many of them handy winners, after his favourite getaway spots.

Her last, Coral Bay, not only paid for a return trip to her namesake, 2000km north of Perth, with her gutsy intermediate win at Tauranga on Saturday. But the victory for O'Flaherty and co-owner and trainer Jan McGiven, also set up a serious shot at some valuable black type.

"We're toying with the idea of taking her to Riccarton now for the Warstep Stakes (2000m) on April 30," said O'Flaherty.

"If we decide that's too soon for her first middle distance, there's also a nice race coming up for 3-year-olds at Hastings."

Earlier this season, O'Flaherty and McGiven were heading to Trentham with Coral Bay and a New Zealand Oaks run.

But the plan came unstuck with Coral Bay's bumper-car ride in Spin'N Grin's Eight Carat Stakes.

Coral Bay ended up sixth, just three lengths from the winner, but with an ounce more luck could have easily paid a dividend.

"She really had to place in that to get into the Oaks," said O'Flaherty.

"But she got knocked back half a length when she should have gone forward half a length."

Wherever she heads next, O'Flaherty doesn't want to rush Coral Bay, a filly so tiny she failed to attract a single bid when offered at the Ready To Run Sales at the end of 2003.

He couldn't believe the growth spurt during the three-week break after her maiden win at Te Aroha in February and predicts huge improvement in the next few months.

From the same family as O'Flaherty's AJC Derby runner-up Cool Reception, the Shinko King filly should eventually find middle distances her pet trip.

"I think staying will eventually be her go," said O'Flaherty.

"Lisa Cropp [rider] said she can't seem to muster enough pace to stay with them early in the piece."