Feet Of A Dancer takes Lismullen Hurdle by eight lengths
Paul Nolan's Feet Of A Dancer makes an impressive seasonal return in Navan's Grade 2 Lismullen Hurdle, with longer-distance targets under consideration.
Feet Of A Dancer made a convincing seasonal return at Navan on Saturday, defeating the geldings in the Grade 2 Railway Bar Lismullen Hurdle and giving trainer Paul Nolan an encouraging indication that the seven-year-old mare has improved again.
Ridden by Sean O'Keeffe, the 17-2 chance moved past long-time leader I'll Sort That approaching the final flight and drew clear to win by eight lengths. Casheldale Lad finished third, while the well-supported favourite The Yellow Clay was beaten before the finish and pulled up before the last. Slade Steel also failed to sustain his challenge in the closing stages.
The result was notable for the authority of the winner's finishing effort. Feet Of A Dancer travelled strongly through the two-and-a-half-mile contest and continued to find plenty once O'Keeffe asked her to extend, in contrast to several better-fancied opponents who weakened as the race developed.
The Authorized mare was returning for the first time since finishing third in the Mares' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival in March. She had also finished fourth in the Pertemps Final at the previous Festival and won a Listed race at Punchestown and the Grade 2 Yorkshire Rose at Doncaster during the last campaign. Her Navan performance suggested that those efforts may not represent her ceiling.
O'Keeffe admitted afterwards that the scale of the improvement had surprised connections. He felt the mare had been fresh in the early stages but was encouraged by the way she maintained her gallop while others began to tire. The rider also raised the possibility of stepping her up to three miles as the season progresses.
That leaves connections with options between the established mares' programme and open staying races. A return to the Cheltenham Mares' Hurdle would be an obvious consideration, although a longer-distance campaign could become attractive if she continues to relax and settle in her races.
Saturday's victory was achieved against a field containing several accomplished rivals, rather than in a restricted mares-only contest. For Nolan, it provides a strong starting point to the winter with a horse whose Festival form had already established her as a serious graded performer. Her next engagement has yet to be confirmed.
By TP Editorial
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