Well-bred Labeille finds her best
A picture of happiness, Labeille & Eddie Harty's daughter Carolyn
© Photo Healy Racing
Labeille isn't a name familiar to Irish racing enthusiasts but we'll hear more about the French-bred mare, winner of six in her homeland, judged on her stylish success in the thetote.com Handicap Hurdle (division one) for David Casey, bringing up a double for Waterford native following on from Galianna earlier at Navan.
Favourite Derinlaur was looking promising from the front for much of the journey but once headed by Labeille from three out, he and the rest of them were soon chasing shadows as the victor crossed the line two and three parts of a length to the good.
By Laveron (sire of Organisedconfusion) and a half-sister to Shot From The Hip, Labeille was bought by her trainer Eddie Harty for 25,000 Euros at Tattersalls last November and the latter said: "That was nice. When I bought her, the form she had in France was good, albeit at mediocre tracks.
"She probably had a hard old season in France and we've had to nurse her back.
"That was a lower handicap than she's been running in and I'll probably look at Punchestown for her." Saddlenomore pulled up here, was found to be lame. (MG & EM)