Fairyhouse front-runner to target spring festivals

Front-running five-time flat winning filly Fratas won first-time over jumps today, landing Fairyhouse's Starting Point 3-Y-O Maiden Hurdle for trainer Mick Mulvany and jockey Michael O'Sullivan.

By Fracas and out of Deontas, Fratas improved her flat rating from 60 - in June, to 88 with a Navan October win and today registered her sixth success.

The Ray McMahon-owned filly raced clear for most of the race and while runner-up Eagle Fang had a go jumping the second-last, Fratas found more, with the pair finishing 15 lengths clear of third-placed Pinot Gris

Mulvany reported “we've known for a while that she's a good hurdler, That's tough going out there and she'd be better on better ground - she'd be able to bowl along and show more.

“She's very quick and fast over them and we're going to have to give her a little break now but we'll probably head for Leopardstown at Christmas. We might even have a think about some of the spring festivals.

“She's after having a hard season so she definitely needs a bit of a break.”

He added “we got away with it today out there; in an ideal world with a classy horse with her ability, you'd be better off on better ground. We'll steer clear of the bottomless, torturous, ground.”

Quotes from Gary Carson