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Zeeyalater gets off the mark

Zeeyalater leads home his rivals under Gary CarrollZeeyalater leads home his rivals under Gary Carroll
© Photo Healy Racing

The Sheila Lavery trained Zeeyalater made the breakthrough on his fifteen start, as he took the AwardsandGifts.ie Handicap.

Fourth of twenty on his last start at Naas, the son of Zebedee was sent off at 7/2 this evening in the colours of the Wascana Syndicate.

Having raced mainly in fifth under Gary Carroll, he was angled out to challenge from the two furlong pole and soon came under pressure.

He got to the front inside the final 150 yards, staying on best to score by a length and a quarter. Alfredo Arcano (13/2) kept on to take second under Oisin Orr for David Marnane. Dandys Gold and Little Miss Willow were sent off the 2/1 joint-favourites. The former was third, while the latter dead-heated for fourth.

Lavery said afterwards: "He really deserves that. He's a little horse that wears his heart on his sleeve. All season he's been first of the three-year-old's so we were really hopeful coming into today. It's very hard to take on those hardened older horses in that rating band.

"Gary said that each time he runs he's getting better. It will be more of the same hopefully, and he loves the ground. He's a fast ground horse, and there is no point running him on anything else.

"I'm delighted for my mum and my sister who own him. I bullied them into buying him!"

STEWARDS REPORT

K.J. Leonard, rider of Olly's Folly (GB) trained by Norman Cassidy, reported to the Clerk of Scales that his mount raced freely in the early stages.

Additional reporting by Alan Magee

1st
7/2
Tote €5.00 €1.80
2nd
1.25L
15/2
€2.60
3rd
hd
2/1JFav
4th
Dht
16/1
4th
hd
2/1JFav
About Donal Murphy
Donal graduated from Maynooth University in 2010 with a BBS in Equine Business and since attained a diploma in Sports Journalism from Dublin Business School. He holds a variety of roles in the horse racing industry, reporting for the Press Association and p2p.ie, while also working for SIS and the Tote. From Wexford, he is a keen runner and has completed over 100 parkruns at various locations around the country.