Solita was the well backed winner of the Racing At Fairyhouse On New Years Day 2016 Beginners Chase at Fairyhouse today, making a winning chase debut for trainer Paul Nolan and jockey Robbie Power.

The daughter of King's Theatre was generally a 3/1 chance this morning and was backed further from 9/4 in to 7/4 favourite at the off. In the race, Solita was produced to lead after two out and stayed on gamely for a three lengths win over Mustadrik

In contrast to the winner, morning favourite Rock On Fruity a faller last time, was very easy to back (13/8 — 2/1 on track). The J.P McManus owned runner was held up in rear, made mistakes, but ran on very nicely on the run-in to take third.

Following Solita's win, Nolan stated "we were going to run in the Brown Lad (at Naas) last Sunday but thought she was a bit exposed as a handicap hurdler, and we said we'd wait for this.

"Hopefully she will materialise into a nice novice chaser, and she'd handle the ground a bit softer than that.

"She hit the first but measured her fences well after that, and when they were racing she jumped well. We'll try to keep her to mares races if we can and, on the basis of that, she could be better over fences than she was over hurdles."

By Tom Weekes, quotes from Alan Magee