The Kieswetter family’s County Tipperary-based Barnane Stud and SA champion owners Hollywood Racing celebrated a listed feature winner at Thurles on Thursday afternoon.
The 6yo Karia Des Blaises outgunned her opposition for a runaway victory in the Carey Glass Irish EBF Colreevy Mares Novice Chase run over two and three-quarter miles.
A winner in her native France, the Willie Mullins-trained trojan headed market-leader The Great Nudie before halfway and made the rest of the running to easily account for 40/1 outsider Shellrunforbriggs by 16 lengths.
Ridden here by Paul Townend, the daughter of Jeu St Eloi (FR)had come down at the last at Limerick over Christmas when looking likely to be placed in a valuable handicap chase. She was placed at Grade 2 level on her chase debut in December 2024, and was returning off a 304-day layoff at Limerick – and certainly upped her game here!
“Her Limerick fall might have just crowned her, which it often can do, as she has been very brave in the past,” said Townend.
“It definitely opened her eyes when she realised she had to have more respect for them. I was happy to take a lead but she probably jumped too well, and I didn’t then want to give away her advantage on that ground. I wasn’t looking behind too much, but was confident I was conserving energy and felt it would take a good one to get past me.It has taken her a while to put it all together, but has done so now and I thought it was a nice performance.”
Barnane Stud’s Craig Kieswetter said that the victory today would be a confidence booster for the very capable mare and that the black-type credit was always welcome.