Jetara set to take on the boys next after securing Grade 3 honours for Jessica Harrington

Jetara continued her rapid rate of improvement for Jessica Harrington as she powered seven-and-a-half-lengths clear in an authoritative display in the Grade 3 BeattheBank.ie Mares Hurdle.

Harrington's mare is a dual Listed winner and showed plenty of promise in her novice hurdle campaign last season, finishing second to High Definition in a strong maiden at this track 12 months ago before filling the same spot behind Ashroe Diamond in a Grade 3 at Fairyhouse. 

Although things did not go to plan in two starts last spring, she has demonstrated strong form this season having won her last three races in dominant fashion. Jack Kennedy always cut a confident figure aboard the five-year-old and his mount produced a marvellous leap at the second-last flight to take up the lead.

Space Tourist, who led for the majority of the race, began to drop away, and with the final obstacle omitted Jetara showed an excellent attitude to pull further clear of runner-up Pink In The Park. 

She seems a mare who is thriving at present and is set to step up to Grade 1 level against the boys next.

"She jumped and settled, and Jack said he couldn't believe how much she picked up," said Harrington. "He thought he had got there plenty soon enough and, when he asked her, she picked up well. We're delighted with her.

"She'll be better on better ground as the whole family want better ground. She's the only one of them who is happy on that soft ground. She'll probably come back here for the two-mile-six novice hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival. We might as well go as she's still a novice. She jumps very slick and they will have to give her 7lb."

Ballyburn saunters home

Ballyburn got off the mark over hurdles in tremendous style in the 2m4f maiden and provided the first leg of a treble for Willie Mullins and Paul Townend.

The five-year-old was an immensely promising bumper horse last season, but lost his unbeaten record when finishing runner-up to Firefox at Fairyhouse on his hurdles debut this month. 

The 2-9 favourite was stepping up to two and a half miles for the first time and put in a dazzling display, strolling 25 lengths clear of Cleatus Poolaw and forcing Paddy Power to slash him into 4-1 favourite (from 7-1) for the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle.

Boosted crowds at Leopardstown

A crowd of 11,804 witnessed the duo complete the double with Grangeclare West and State Man on the final day of the track's Christmas festival. The figure was a slight increase from 11,601 last year.

Read these next:

'We'll be praying for rain at Cheltenham' - State Man dispatches stablemate Impaire Et Passe for seventh Grade 1 win 

'I didn't expect that' - nice surprise for Willie Mullins as Grangeclare West goes to top of Brown Advisory market 

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