Sassy Diva (right)© Photo Healy Racing
Sassy Diva is set to go in search of some more valuable black type in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Boreen Belle Mares Novice Hurdle at Thurles.
Shane Crawley’s seven-year-old was placed in three consecutive Listed events in the bumper sphere and made it third time lucky over hurdles with a dominant victory at Ayr on her penultimate start.
She was last seen going down by a head to the Gordon Elliott-trained Tintangle in a conditions race at Thurles last month and she is pencilled in to return to Listed level at the same track on December 22.
Crawley said: “Sassy Diva seems well since Thurles. She will probably go back there just before Christmas for a Listed race.
“We’ll see how she gets on there before making any further plans.”
Crawley trains only a small string from his base in County Meath.
He added: “I have seven riding out at the moment. Fiesta Forever won for us at Wexford during the summer, but unfortunately she dropped dead up at the Curragh since. We were getting her ready for a race. She would have been a grand mare to breed from.
“Reine Fee ran well in Gowran recently in her first handicap. Hopefully we will get her back out around Christmas.
“There aren’t many mares-only handicaps, so we will probably have to take on the boys with her. Or we could take a trip to England if I could persuade her owner.”
