Bella has a ball for Harrington at Listowel
Outsider Dingle Belle proved best of Jessica Harrington’s three runners to land the feature event on the second day of the Listowel Festival, the Listowel Races Supporters Club Lartigue Hurdle.
The four-year-old, second on her last three hurdles runs and still a maiden after 16 career starts, was always going well and powered clear on the run-in to beat Head Waiter by four lengths.
Indian Love carried them along at a fair clip with Head Waiter in second, but Dingle Belle took closer order under Shane Jackson with four flights to run in the two-mile contest.
The 20-1 shot was going particularly well in behind when Head Waiter took over at the third-last and though she stumbled approaching the next, she was soon on an even keel.
The 5lb claimer sent her on heading to the final flight and she jumped it clear before going on to a comfortable success, with Head Waiter holding Prince Picasso by half a length for second.
Harrington said: “At long last! She has been second three times on the Flat and over hurdles.
“I actually thought today, with the weight she had, that she had a great chance compared to my other two runners. Everything went right, they went a good gallop and Shane gave her a great ride.
“She’s had a wind operation and that has made all the difference. We’ll go home and see where we go from here, but I think she is well-handicapped so I suppose we might go for another handicap.”
