Yeats Records Double At Fairyhouse

Uisce Beatha (6g Yeats - Hataana, by Robellino) bounced back to form to gain his first win over fences at Fairyhouse on Saturday.

One of eight to line up for the two mile and one furlong EBF Beginners Chase, run in memory of the late John Lynch, Usice Beatha was ridden towards the back of the field by JJ Slevin. Racing closer from the fourth last fence, the JP McManus representative came under pressure after the second last and ran on to lead on the flat, beating favourite Impact Factor (Flemensfirth) by two lengths.

McManus’ racing manager Frank Berry commented after the race, “He came home well and liked the ground. He finished off the race well.” Trained by Joseph O’Brien, Uisce Beatha won his hurdle debut last April and previously finished second on his sole bumper start. Bred by Aidan Sexton, he was bought by his current trainer for €100,000 at the Goffs Landrover Sale.

Uisce Beatha was completing a double for Castle Hyde Stud sire Yeats, with the Luke Comer trained and owned Kingston Girl (6m Yeats - Grancore Girl, by Flemensfirth) having won the opening Mares Maiden Hurdle.

A bumper winner in August, the bay mare finished second on her hurdle debut in Navan and was dropped back to two miles and two furlongs at Fairyhouse. Ridden to chase the pace by Ricky Doyle, she produced a challenge at three out, improving to dispute the lead at the final hurdle and kept on to beat the favourite, Caravation, by half a length.

Jim Gorman, assistant to Comer, afterwards earmarked a Graded race at the same track as a possible aim for the winner, adding Kingston Girl was bred by John Kingston out of the dual bumper winner Grancore Girl (Flemensfirth).