Further joy for the Lattas with Little Mitch

Course bumper winning mare Little Mitch shrugged aside the fact that she hadn't been seen out for 230 days when convincingly coming out on top in the Oulart Handicap Hurdle at Wexford.

It was a local win with Yvonne Latta and J J Slevin in the training and riding roles and 8/1 chance Little Mitch (supported down from double figure offers earlier) asserted in the straight to beat the staying-on Admiral Brian and Seskinane by three lengths and a length and three parts.

"My son Andrew does all the work with her. He was looking at her yesterday and he was saying I hope she is fit enough, but she is a mare that carries condition," said Mrs Latta.

"You'd think she isn't fit enough but she is hard, she is an eight-year-old now. He was hoping for a good run, he was hoping she'd be in the frame.

"She might be little and she is called Little Mitch, but she has a big, big, big heart. You are never disappointed with her as she always gives you her all.

"We actually bought the dam of her as a foal so that's how long we have the family. She is the last of them racing and we are keeping her as a broodmare, that's the plan with her.

"She is one of those family pets now, we always have a good day out with her.

"Hopefully she might get into something in Punchestown now. We will just go home and see how she is in the morning, and make a plan after that. She has won three now and was third to Long Dog in Limerick so she has her black-type as well."

(DM & EM)