Yeats Sires Smart Sunday Double

Our Colossus (6g Yeats - Itsalark, by Definite Article) reproduced some of his early promise to take Sunday’s maiden hurdle at Stratford.

The son of Yeats joined the Fergal O’Brien stable after finishing a close second to subsequent stablemate Manothepeople (Mahler) in a point-to-point on his sole start for Peter Flood. Fifth on last month’s hurdle bow, the bay raced in midfield under Paddy Brennan and took the lead on the turn for home. Three lengths clear at the final flight, he kept on well to win by two and a quarter lengths, with another nine and a half lengths back to the third horse.

Bred by Frank Motherway and Kevin Curtin, Our Colossus is owned by Ray Treacy and Shaun Staplehurst. The son of Yeats is an own-brother to Listed winner and Grade 2 second Party Central (Yeats), while half-brother Craigneiche (Flemensfirth) was a Grade 3 winner over hurdles.

Earlier that afternoon, the Emma Lavelle-trained Hang In There (7g Yeats - Jaldemosa, by Cadoudal) made a smart return to action in the feature Jonathan Walker Memorial Handicap Hurdle.

A Grade 2 winner as a five-year-old, the bay carried top-weight to an all-the-way win, staying on strongly to win by nine lengths under Tom Bellamy. Owned by Tim Syder and Andrew Gemmell, Hang In There was bred by Daniel Furini.