Posh Trish returned to the winner’s enclosure for the second time within the space of four days when she claimed the feature race at Taunton on Sunday, the Listed Weatherbys General Stud Book mares’ novice hurdle.
Making all of the running in the hands of Harry Cobden, the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing-owned five-year-old began to take control in the two-mile contest in the home straight, and she had plenty left in reserves to defeat Indefatigable by two lengths, with the front pair pulling some 12 lengths clear of the remainder.
Her success in the £20,000 race, is the third year in a row that an Irish point-to-point graduate has taken victory, as she follows in the footsteps of Maria’s Benefit and Coilte Lass – the latter having also won the race for the Paul Nicholls team in 2016.
Shark Hanlon’s debut Lemonfield four-year-old mares’ victor, who had come up against the likes of Colreevey, Getaway Katie Mai and Ellie Mac on that occasion, had already picked-up black type success when winning a Listed bumper in her first season with Nicholls having been bought for £135,000 at the Cheltenham Festival sale following that point-to-point success, and she had already added to her tally of Listed successes at Newbury at the beginning of the month.
Following her third victory this month, the daughter of Stowaway was shortened in the betting for the Grade 2 Trull House Stud mares’ novice hurdle, and is as low as 10/1 now in the market for that race which is a relatively recent addition to the Festival in March.
It's joy for favourite backers as Posh Trish tops the listed contest the Weatherbys General Stud Book Mares' Novices' Hurdle for Paul Nicholls and Harry Cobden %uD83D%uDC4F pic.twitter.com/WGi52ibosG
— Taunton Racecourse (@TauntonRacing) December 30, 2018
