Black Heather runs rivals ragged on hurdle debut Black Heather had plenty of experience in bumpers winning at Ballinrobe last summer and put in a fine round of jumping on his hurdle debut for an impressive success in division two of the Pat O’Hare Bookmakers Maiden Hurdle at Naas. The 4/1 chance made most of the running and had his 16 rivals all well stretched early in the straight. Cian Quirke could sit motionless on the run-in as the six-year-old Lauro gelding cruised clear on the run-in to beat 6/5 favourite Jazz De Cotte by a facile ten lengths. Youlita was a further two and three-quarter lengths back in third. Winning trainer Harry Kelly said, “He’s a horse that we think an awful lot of, he has wicked gears. “We brought him here the last day and thankfully Patrick Mullins minded him. He just doesn’t handle heavy ground even though he has a pedigree and looks like a horse that would. “He jumps super. The plan wasn’t even to make it today, but he just jumped so well and he wasn’t going to disappoint him. “He should have a nice campaign. He’s in on Saturday at Bellewstown in a 1m4f Flat maiden. He didn’t look to be too extended there, so I’d say we’ll probably have a crack at that.” Quotes by Gary Carson
