14-length winner heads Yeats double

Debutant Irish Odyssey (5g Yeats-Ma Furie, by Balleroy) began his racing career in superb style at Fontwell on Wednesday when winning a bumper by 14 lengths.

Noel Fehily was aboard the Neil Mulholland-trained Yeats gelding and the Racing Post was impressed with the victory, commenting that Irish Odyssey “won as he liked, there’s no telling how good he is”.

Fehily also believes the five-year-old, bred by The Hon Mrs V M A Tower, could be going places.

“Irish Odyssey was good in the race, and what he did after the line was even more impressive, as I couldn't pull him up until the first hurdle down the back, which is a good sign in that ground,” said Fehily.

Irish Odyssey was completing a Fontwell double for Yeats with champion jockey Richard Johnson partnering Reikers Island (5g Yeats-Moricana, by Konigsstuhl) to win a novices’ hurdle for trainer Philip Hobbs.

The five-year-old, bred by Walter Connors, changed hands for £60,000 at Cheltenham in December on the back of a point-to-point victory.