Bright Stripes has the field beaten in Naas© Photo Healy Racing
Bright Stripes brought up plenty of bets in race six at Naas and was the second leg of a double on the card for jockey Billy Lee.
From quotes of even money this morning, his price dropped to 4/9 on the off.
Lee asked him to improve inside the two pole and his mount found for him as he came through on the inner to lead approaching the final furlong.
He increased his lead to just over a length with 100 yards to race and, from there, nothing was going to catch him.
He won by a length from 33/1 shot Aratayvo who was a nose in front of Gesture (28/1).
Andrew Oliver said: "I hate an odds-on favourite because you are a sitting duck, you are there to be shot at.
“He did it smoothly enough. They came out a bit and he had to come up the rail. He did it well, got to the front and probably thought he had done enough.
“He got through that ground so he seems fairly versatile, but he's a lovely moving horse.
“He did everything he needed to do today and we're happy enough.
“We've always liked him and I think he was unlucky in the Ballyhane, he was slowly away and was the best of the finishers. It looked like he would get seven then and he surely did.
“He's in the final (of the auction series) here and we'll also probably look at the Killavullan (at Leopardstown).
Lee was also successful on King Cuan for Paddy Twomey.
Additional reporting by Gary Carson
