Battling Big Zeb completes Fortria hat-trick

FORMER two-mile champion Big Zeb and classy mare Volver La Vedette provided trainer Colm Murphy with a superb Grade 2 double when making successful seasonal debuts in Navan yesterday.

Big Zeb, ridden for the first time by Robert Power, won the Fortria Chase for the third consecutive year while Voler La Vedette (Andrew Lynch) proved a facile winner of the Lismullen Hurdle.

Having tracked front-running Forpadydeplasterer and jumping particularly well, Big Zeb, which was usurped as favourite by Noble Prince, eased into the lead soon after the third last fence and responded to Power’s driving when pressed by the favourite and the longtime leader at the last.