Hareth, blue spots, keeps on best in Navan© Photo Healy Racing
Hareth enjoyed his first start on the flat for 1,528 days when running on strongly in the concluding mile and five handicap at Navan.
He was fit, though, from a victory in a handicap hurdle at Cork three weeks ago.
The eight-year-old son of Jeremy looked to have plenty on his plate towards the rear when Billy Lee got busy on him over three furlongs from home.
He was ridden into fifth with a furlong and a half to travel and soon engaged top gear to power home down the outside and hit the front in the final 100 yards.
The nicely backed 13/8 favourite won going away by a length and three quarters to give Lee a double. Prospectus was headed in the closing stages and had to settle a runner-up prize at 2/1. He was the same distance in front of 50/1 outsider who left his 'duck egg' form behind to finish well for third.
Hareth's trainer Charles Byrnes said: "The ground and the track suited him as he needed every yard of it. He won a good handicap hurdle here.
“He’s in the three-mile (Alanna Homes Handicap Hurdle) in Punchestown (on Thursday) but I don’t know if he’ll run. It comes plenty soon but we’ll see how he comes out of this and consider it.
“On his hurdle rating, as with the second, he looked well enough in and that’s the way it worked out. He’ll keep going for a bit but he needs a break at some stage.”
Lee was also successful on board Mary Tudor in the Listed Salsabil Stakes.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
