Byerley Babe too classy for rivals

Having only her second outing over fences, the Robert Tyner-trained Byerley Babe outclassed her rivals in the Student Race Festival Mares Beginners Chase on the final day of Limerick’s Christmas meeting.

Sent off the 9/10 favourite, the six-year-old Beneficial mare, a course winner over hurdles, travelled sweetly and jumped soundly for Philip Enright before challenging off the home turn. She quickened well in the very testing ground and, soon in front, only had to pop the final two fences to score readily, by three and a quarter lengths, from Hill Rock.

“She’s a nice, classy mare and jumps great,” stated the winning trainer’s wife Mary. “She likes that ground and goes well around here. We always thought she’d take well to fences and, with luck, will win more races. I’d say she’ll be kept to mares’ races.”