Lee’s stable star Sole Pretender makes light of long injury lay-off
THE highest rated National Hunt horse trained in Galway is back with a vengeance after overcoming a near 600-day absence in terrific style at Cork on Sunday.
And Gort-based trainer Norman Lee is now eyeing a crack at the Grade One Stayers Hurdle at the upcoming Punchestown Festival with his stable star Sole Pretender.
Off the track for 598 days, the seven-year-old made a sparkling return to the racecourse with an impressive pillar-to-post win in the Bar One Racing Hurdle.
This conditions race attracted a decent field, including Cheltenham County Hurdle runner-up Petit Mouchoir and the Willie Mullins trained Bapaume, a comprehensive winner at the track on his previous outing.
With that reliable yardstick Davids Charm also lining up and given his long lay-off, it was no surprise that Sole Pretender was sent off a 14/1 chance to land the €17,000 contest.
But adopting his customary front-running tactics under 5lbs claimer Simon Torrens, Sole Pretender set a decent gallop from the off and none of his rivals could land a blow.
Petit Mouchoir was already held when coming to grief at the second last, while runner-up Bapaume could get no closer than five lengths at the line.
Sole Pretender’s triumphant return represented an outstanding training performance by Lee, who was relieved and delighted in equal measure after his horse’s sixth career win from ten starts.
“He’s a horse that had a little ligament issue and we gave him the whole year off. I thought he would need the run, but he is a proper good horse and he will improve for the run too.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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