We followed Daryl Jacob to Ireland this week as the jockey rode work on some of the Simon Munir and Isaac Souede team across the yards of Stuart Crawford and Willie Mullins.
First stop was the base of the former, who trains at Newlands Farm near Larne in County Antrim. He has a host of exciting young horses forming the Double Green Academy. You can check out his thoughts - and those of Daryl on the links below
We also asked Stuart to talk about any darker horses who might be sailing under the radar right now.
“We’ve two nice Authorized fillies. MONGIBELLO finished third in her only point-to-point start at a very competitive track (Oldtown) last spring. We turned her away after that and she’s one to follow this autumn along with BRUCIO," he said.
“She had a very pleasing debut in Punchestown in April when she finished fifth in the Listed mares’ bumper there. She disappointed the next day in Wexford but was put away for the summer afterwards. That could have been down to something as simple as just coming into season that day.
"She’s done a load of schooling and whether she has another go in a bumper or kicks on over hurdles hasn’t been decided but she’s definitely got ability. Hopefully she’ll be winning races.
“INSTINCT D’AINAY is a lovely big horse. He was quite an expensive store purchase and has an awful lot ability but he’s very big and is going to take a bit of time. He’s showing enough to tell us he’s worth waiting for though.
“JOSHUA DES FLOS started off finishing second in a Leopardstown bumper so straight away you respect the form. He went to Joseph O’Brien’s and finished in what looked a very competitive maiden hurdle first time out at Punchestown, the front three well clear of the rest. He’s back with us and has untapped potential and is hopefully a horse who can win a race or two this autumn.
"IVRAIE qualifies as a dark horse. He had two point-to-point runs and fell both times. The first day at Nenagh he got a tired fall when well held in third. The next day he ran at Moira he also ended up with a fall but my brother rode him and said he was as different as day and night to the first day.
“He knew what he was about and he said when he fell three out it was his race to lose. He’s another big horse and the extra bit of time will stand him in good stead and hopefully we’ll get reward for that this autumn."
From there it was down to Closutton to see some of the star Double Green names in the Mullins team.
Listen to the full story below:
Daryl’s delight at getting an early sit on EL FABIOLO was obvious and he said of him: “He’s just huge, he’s so cool, a real treat for me to ride him first lot coming back in. He hasn’t been doing a whole lot and I thought he was a monster last year but I just left a message with Simon and Isaac and I think he’s got bigger again, and I didn’t think he could!
“He’s hugely exciting. What he did last year was a demolition job of some very good horses and the sky’s the limit for this horse.”
While his mount was having a pick of grass the rider found himself standing alongside IMPAIRE ET PASSE and he observed: “He had a great season last year. Just standing beside him, looking at him, I thought he was tall narrow horse last year and I couldn’t wait to see him and see if he’d broaden his shoulders and neck out.
“To my delight he’s definitely done that. He definitely looks a bigger horse again this year and has done very, very well over the summer holidays. I can’t wait to see him back on the track and will hopefully get to sit on him soon.”
While at Clossuton we asked Patrick Mullins for three Double Green horses to follow this season. Here are his thoughts:
“He won two bumpers at Ballinrobe and Tipperary in the summer. He’s a winter horse but we didn’t get him out in time. He’s a fine, big, tall horse with lots of scope by Authorized, from the family of Quito de La Roque. I can’t wait to see him jumping, I think he has bags of talent."
“Ran a cracker in the Aintree bumper. It took him a while to run as well as he was working but he improved throughout the season and he’s a horse I think will win plenty of races. He qualifies for that auction series and there’s a big final at Punchestown so he should have a very valuable route to follow.”
C’EST TA CHANCE
“A new recruit. He’s a horse by Elm Park, a stallion I don’t know much about, but he won a point-to-point for Pat Doyle, Pa King rode him. He came highly recommended. He’s a point-to-pointer, but more of a sharper looking individual, he has a big white stripe on his face, it’s very early days with him. We haven’t pushed any buttons with him yet but he has a good profile and I’m looking forward to getting on him in a bumper.”
Sporting Life are proud to sponsor the Simon Munir & Isaac Souede team this season in the UK and Ireland.
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