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Tom Weekes

Tom Weekes

Doyle delivers following nine-hour round-trip

Sun 16th Jul 2017, 14:51

La Bella Vida La Bella Vida
© Photo Healy Racing

Co Wexford based trainer Liz Doyle crossed the country for a winner at Sligo today as her La Bella Vida landed the I.S.F. EBF (Mares) Rated Novice Hurdle, under in-form jockey Sean Flanagan.

Flanagan, fresh from a treble at Cork on Friday, steered the daughter of Westerner to a length and three parts win and afterwards Doyle said “I had been hitting the cross-bar recently and second and thirds aren’t any good. I was up at 5.45am this morning, feeding and what-not, so that’s all a bit of a blur! It took four and a half hours to get here but it’s all worth it as long as we take some prize-money home.”

She added “this race suited her and she got a beautiful ride. She got a little bit flat to the boards early but I knew when the hill kicked in, she’d come on the bridle. It was a nice opportunity - two mile mares’ hurdle and she ticked all the right boxes for it and I’m very very pleased with her.

“She’ll probably go to Galway now for the mares’ two mile handicap hurdle if he (the handicapper) isn’t too hard on her.“

About Tom Weekes
A lifelong racing fan, Tom began writing point to point reports in 2002 and has reported for irishracing.com since 2003, when he joined Irish Racing Services - since taken over by the Press Association. Has ridden a point to point winner and won the 2018 Irish Field Naps Table.