Zeeyalater gets off the mark

The Sheila Lavery trained Zeeyalater made the breakthrough on his fifteen start, as he took the AwardsandGifts.ie Handicap.

Fourth of twenty on his last start at Naas, the son of Zebedee was sent off at 7/2 this evening in the colours of the Wascana Syndicate.

Having raced mainly in fifth under Gary Carroll, he was angled out to challenge from the two furlong pole and soon came under pressure.

He got to the front inside the final 150 yards, staying on best to score by a length and a quarter. Alfredo Arcano (13/2) kept on to take second under Oisin Orr for David Marnane. Dandys Gold and Little Miss Willow were sent off the 2/1 joint-favourites. The former was third, while the latter dead-heated for fourth.

Lavery said afterwards: "He really deserves that. He's a little horse that wears his heart on his sleeve. All season he's been first of the three-year-old's so we were really hopeful coming into today. It's very hard to take on those hardened older horses in that rating band.

"Gary said that each time he runs he's getting better. It will be more of the same hopefully, and he loves the ground. He's a fast ground horse, and there is no point running him on anything else.

"I'm delighted for my mum and my sister who own him. I bullied them into buying him!"

STEWARDS REPORT

K.J. Leonard, rider of Olly's Folly (GB) trained by Norman Cassidy, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount raced freely in the early stages.

Additional reporting by Alan Magee