Voler shows grace under pressure at Fairyhouse

Voler La Vedette (7-4) showed a fine turn of foot to win the Bar One Racing Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse to complete a fantastic weekend for jockey Andrew Lynch.

Having ridden Sizing Europe to win the Tingle Creek at Sandown on Saturday, Lynch secured his second Grade One success of the weekend aboard Colm Murphy’s mare.

Connections had tried to get her in foal to Presenting but that did not work out, and they will be over the moon as she landed her first victory at the highest level.

Lynch was content to sit last of the four runners before sweeping wide into the straight, after which she quickened up in fine style to pass Final Approach approaching the final flight.

Voler La Vedette then powered clear to win by three and three-quarter lengths from the 5-4 favourite Mourad.

Murphy said: "I'm delighted for everyone, it's great when it does go right. We couldn’t have been happier coming here, everything had gone well and she’d been knocking on the door in these races so it’s great that she got her turn.

“If anything the smaller the field the better for her because she’s only ever going to be in the first four. Andrew knows her well. He gets her settled then rides a race after that.

“I was a little bit surprised turning in when she seemed to get a little bit outpaced, but Andrew said she just got a bit too relaxed, as soon as he woke her she was getting there too soon.

“She’ll get an entry in the two-miler and three-miler at Leopardstown at Christmas and we’ll see where we go from there.

“There’s a two-and-a-half-mile race at Gowran for her, there’s plenty for her. I hope the plan is not to try to get her in foal but I’d imagine it is. She’s a very valuable broodmare and it was great they kept her in training this year.

“If we had her for another year that would be great.”