Game Daughter Of Yeats Lands Lanzarote Hurdle

West Balboa (7m Yeats - Rostellan, by Flemensfirth) battled bravely to capture a valuable prize in the Lanzarote Hurdle at Kempton on Saturday.

Trained by Dan Skelton, the lightly-raced mare impressed on hurdle debut last season and went on to finish second in the Grade 1 Challow Novices’ Hurdle, before suffering a setback. Runner-up on her return to action last month, she was partnered by Bridget Andrews at Kempton and travelled strongly through much of the two mile and five furlong contest. She made smooth headway to take a prominent position three from home and was pushed along at the next. Ridden to lead approaching the final flight, she was soon headed, but battled back gamely to regain the advantage close home, prevailing by a short head on the line.

“She is so tough,” a delighted Bridget Andrews said of the winner. “We've always known she was good. She is exceptionally talented and everything she shows at home, we knew it was still there.”

Now owned by Bullen-Smith and Faulks, West Balboa began her career with Aidan Fitzgerald, for whom she finished second on debut at Dromahane. The daughter of Yeats was bred by Frank Motherway and Billy Fitzgerald out of the Flemensfirth mare Rostellan.