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Seven-year-old wins Grade Two contest at Fairyhouse

Rashaan pulled out all the stops to take the Grade Two honours in the Keelings Irish Strawberry Hurdle at Fairyhouse.

The seven-year-old has been a great servant for trainer Colin Kidd and delivered the goods style in great style.

Produced in the centre of the course by Davy Russell to hit the front between the last two flights, Rashaan (16-1) kept on determinedly to score by a length and a half from Not Many Left with Off You Go just a nose away in third place.

Kidd was delighted Rashaan had bounced back to form after a disappointing spell that included refusing to races over fences.

“He’s back to life. A lot of people were very quick to write him off after what happened in the Drinmore, but it was just one of those things. I said on the day it was probably the cheekpieces,” said Kidd.

“He probably lost his bottle a bit over hurdles. We brought him back and gave him a couple of spins on the Flat and his third in the Red Mills Hurdle over a trip half a mile too short for him was a good run I felt.

“We gave him a blow out in Clonmel last Thursday evening. Two and a half miles on good ground is his optimum I think.

“He won a Grade Three juvenile hurdle here a few years ago. To still have him sound and come back and win a Grade Two on National day here is super.

“I was very hopeful when they had jumped two or three hurdles and I saw him travelling as sweet as he was.

“Some days he can be a bit flat early on in a race, but he was just travelling so well throughout the race. When they straightened up for the second last, I said he’s going to come home well anyway, as he always does.

“The fun that we are getting out of him, and I think that win today brings him up to nearly a quarter of a million in prize-money, so it’s unbelievable.”