Co Wexford based trainer Liz Doyle crossed the country for a winner at Sligo today as her La Bella Vida landed the I.S.F. EBF (Mares) Rated Novice Hurdle, under in-form jockey Sean Flanagan.

Flanagan, fresh from a treble at Cork on Friday, steered the daughter of Westerner to a length and three parts win and afterwards Doyle said “I had been hitting the cross-bar recently and second and thirds aren’t any good. I was up at 5.45am this morning, feeding and what-not, so that’s all a bit of a blur! It took four and a half hours to get here but it’s all worth it as long as we take some prize-money home.”

She added “this race suited her and she got a beautiful ride. She got a little bit flat to the boards early but I knew when the hill kicked in, she’d come on the bridle. It was a nice opportunity - two mile mares’ hurdle and she ticked all the right boxes for it and I’m very very pleased with her.

“She’ll probably go to Galway now for the mares’ two mile handicap hurdle if he (the handicapper) isn’t too hard on her.“