Karia Des Blaises off the mark in Ireland Easy-to-back having been morning favourite, Karia Des Blaises (3/1) outclassed her five rivals in the Carey Glass Irish EBF Colreevy Mares Novice Chase at Thurles. Having headed market-leader The Great Nudie before halfway, the daughter of Jeu St Eloi made the rest and easily accounted for outsider Shellrunforbriggs by 16 lengths A hurdles winner at three in her native France, this Listed success over just short of two and three-quarter miles was the six-year-old’s first victory in Ireland. Owned by Barnane Stud and Hollywood Racing, the Willie Mullins-trained winner had come down at the last at Limerick over Christmas when looking likely to be placed in a valuable handicap chase. "Her Limerick fall might have just crowned her, which it often can do, as she has been very brave in the past,” said winning jockey Paul Townend. “It definitely opened her eyes when she realised she had to have more respect for them. "I was happy to take a lead but she probably jumped too well, and I didn't then want to give away her advantage on that ground. I wasn't looking behind too much, but was confident I was conserving energy and felt it would take a good one to get past me. "It has taken her a while to put it all together, but has done so now and I thought it was a nice performance." Additional reporting by Tom Weekes
