Solita and Paul Townend in action at Fairyhouse© Photo Healy Racing
Paul Townend had the proverbial double handful on Solita and the mare made no mistake when taking the Grade B novice handicap chase in Fairyhouse by a healthy margin.
The pair raced in mid-division five from home before a good jump at the fourth last saw her pick up well on the outside to move into third.
In the home straight she came to the third last almost on terms and was still on the bridle as she took over at the penultimate obstacle.
She tanked along and although the final fence wasn't one of her better jumps she had plenty in hand as she moved clear. Westerner Point (6/1) took second, some four and a half lengths down while Just Get Cracking came in half a length away in third at 12/1.
The seven-year-old won at 13/2 for trainer Paul Nolan who said: "Lovely ride, great jockey A very confident ride and he had loads of mare turning in. She jumped well thank God. I'm just delighted she has large black type now and Robert Hennelly will be sitting at home delighted I'm sure and I hope to God he's okay at home because he gets very nervous for a race.
“She got a bit of a fright when falling here and lost her way over fences. We switched her to hurdles to get her confidence back and she won at Leopardstown.
“We schooled her the other day and she was good. We decided to make use of her novice status, and it’s great to get large black type. She travels so well that there could be another few in her.”
"She loses her novice status in a month so I'm delighted she got her confidence back and we'll make a plan. We'll think about Punchestown, we'll see."
Paul Townend added: "Paul had her in great shape. He said she schooled well round Wexford so he was confident. It was just get her to settle, get into a good rhythm of jumping and he had her spot on, on the day.
"It was a bit sooner than I wanted to be hitting the front. They were stopping in front of me and I didn't want to take her back at that stage. She was cleverer than me at the last. It's a good feeling when you are going that way down to the last."
Solita gave Townend a double on the card as he was also successful on Dollar And A Dream in the novice handicap hurdle.
Additional reporting by Alan Magee
