Donn McClean with five horses to follow in Ireland over the Christmas period
It’s going to be busy, but here are five Irish horses who might be worth a second glance during the Christmas festivals.
Delta Work (Gordon Elliott)
Delta Work has become a little bit of a forgotten horse. True, he was well beaten in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase on his seasonal debut, but he is never at his best on his seasonal return, and he reportedly came home lame that day, so you can allow him that.
Gordon Elliott’s horse was one of the top staying novice chasers last season. He beat Le Richebourg in the Grade 1 Drinmore Chase and he won the Grade 1 Neville Hotels Chase at last year’s Christmas Festival at Leopardstown, and he won the Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Group Chase at the Punchestown Festival by 12 lengths.
The Savills Chase at Leopardstown is shaping up to be a cracking contest, with Kemboy set to return and Presenting Percy and Road To Respect reportedly on track, but Delta Work could be the under-rated horse in the race.
A Plus Tard (Henry de Bromhead)
One of the most impressive winners at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival, A Plus Tard ran really well on his debut this season to finish second to Ballyoisin in the Grade 2 Fortria Chase at Navan last month.
Henry de Bromhead’s horse raced that day as though he would appreciate a step back up from the minimum trip, but he still kept on well enough to get to within three lengths of the 168-rated Ballyoisin – who is dynamite at Navan – with subsequent John Durkan Chase runner-up Hardline 11 lengths back in third and the 2019 Arkle winner Duc De Genievres further back in fourth.
The Cheveley Park Stud gelding is probably better over two and a half miles than he is over two, but his form and his trainer tell you that he is much better going left-handed than he is going right, so it makes sense to allow him take his chance in the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase. The race is run over two miles and a furlong, and Leopardstown is a stiff track, and that, combined with the pace and the ground, should bring the Kapgarde gelding’s stamina into play.
Footpad (Willie Mullins)
The King George preamble has correctly been dominated by the Paul Nicholls horses and Cobden’s Choice and Lostintranslation. Consequently, however, Footpad could be flying a little under the radar.
Willie Mullins’ horse had a season to forget last term, but he was the outstanding two-mile novice chaser of 2017/18, he won all five races that he contested, including four Grade 1 contests.
He proved his wellbeing when he won a listed chase at Thurles last month on his seasonal return, travelling well and jumping well and winning easily. The King George will obviously be a big step up, but we know that he is a classy horse and, while he has to prove his stamina for three miles at this level, the Thurles race was over two miles and six furlongs, and he did win the Grade 1 Prix Alain du Breil over two and a half miles at Auteuil in 2016 as a four-year-old. In a fascinating race, he could out-run his odds.
Cavalry Master (Henry de Bromhead)
Cavalry Master has a couple of options over the course of the post-Christmas period, but he will be of greatest interest if he takes his chance in the two-and-a-half-mile novices’ handicap hurdle at Leopardstown on Sunday.
Winner of his bumper at Kilbeggan in June, Henry de Bromhead’s horse ran well for a long way in the hot maiden hurdle in which Embittered got the better of Blackbow at Naas in early November, and he stepped forward from that to win his maiden at Punchestown next time.
The Gigginstown House horse travelled well in front that day, and he found lots when he was challenged by Sizing Pottsie in the home straight. By Milan out of a French mare who won over fences over two miles and five furlongs, he is a chaser in the making, but he could improve for stepping up to two and a half miles now over hurdles. He is progressive anyway, he is only five and he has raced just twice over hurdles and, in a race that connections won two years ago with Mind’s Eye, a handicap rating of 123 would be more than fair.
A Wave Of The Sea (Joseph O’Brien)
Like Delta Work, A Wave Of The Sea might be a little bit of a forgotten horse now, after he was beaten by his stable companion Cerberus in the Grade 3 juvenile hurdle at Fairyhouse on Hatton’s Grace Hurdle day.
There was mitigation though. Robbie Power was able to dictate a pace that suited his own horse on Cerberus. A Wave Of The Sea’s jumping was not as slick as his stable companion’s and, while he stayed on well for pressure, he didn’t have the pace to match Cerberus. And he was conceding 4lb to his rival.
The Joseph O’Brien-trained gelding should improve as the season develops, he should be able to introduce more fluency to his jumping as he gains in experience and, if he takes his chance in the Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle on Thursday, he should be better suited by the stiffer test that Leopardstown will present. An 82-rated horse on the flat, JP McManus’ horse did well to beat Cerberus at Punchestown in October after making a mistake at the final flight, and he looked very good in winning at Down Royal last month. He is a horse in whom it might be worthwhile retaining faith.
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