Racing:Eddie Harty's Captain Cee Bee defied an absence of over 600 days when making a winning debut over fences in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Beginners Chase at Naas.
After winning the 2008 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, the eight-year-old suffered a broken blood vessel at Aintree the following month and has since been off the track with a leg injury.
Sent off at 4-1 in the hands of Tony McCoy, Captain Cee Bee measured his fences accurately throughout, but it looked as though the lack of a recent run was going to tell when Zaarito loomed up halfway up the home straight.
Although there was nothing to chose between the pair approaching the final obstacle, Harty’s charge stayed on tenaciously to record a neck verdict.
Paddy Power were suitably impressed and cut him to 14-1 from 20-1 for next year’s Arkle Trophy at Cheltenham.