Citizenship overcomes adversity to land big success

Jessica Harrington landed the Boylesports.com Hurdle for the third time (following on from Dance Beat and Studmaster) when Citizenship scored in the very valuable two miler under Robbie Power.

In the words of Mrs Harrington: "Everything went wrong. He nearly came down at the first and was soon nearly last. Robbie said that he never sat on one that picked up so quickly when he eventually saw daylight."

Top-weight Staying Article looked like he was going to win when he took over travelling well and then Leah Claire came there with what looked like a winning challenge.

However Citizenship came home best of all from off the pace and eventually crossed the line a length and a quarter and a head to the good.

The winning syndicate is called the Fresh By Nature Syndicate and they are a three man grouping involved in the fruit and veg business in north County Dublin. A spokesman for the trio was keen to credit John Hussey for buying them the six-year-old son of Beat Hollow.

That stallion is making a big impression in the National Hunt ranks lately and has recently taken up residence at Ballylinch Stud in County Kilkenny as a replacement for King's Theatre.

Robbie Power said: "That was fantastic. I've never won a race when everything went so wrong. He's as honest and game as you get though and he is very quick at his hurdles.

"I was supposed to ride Zaarito for Colm Murphy but when the weights went up I was able to ride this fellow.

"It's been a hard week as I had half a stone to lose. Ten stone three is my lowest weight."

Citizenship has been in three different yards before, those of Pat Eddery, Ian Williams and Gordon Elliott and carried the famous silks of Prince Khalid Abdulla and Dr Marwan Koukash. He went through the sales ring twice for the modest sums of 5,500 guineas and 4,000 guineas.

Citizenship received an introductory quote of 16/1 for the County Hurdle from Stan James. Scottish Boogie was reported to have never travelled but was post race normal whilst Moville burst a blood vessel. (AM & EM)