Henry de Bromhead Stable Tour: Guide to the 2020-21 team including Chris’s Dream and Honeysuckle

Abbey Magic

She’s great, she’s done really well. She’s a lovely mare and it’s great that she has come back from injury like she has. She won nicely at Cork a few weeks ago. There’s the listed mares’ chase at Clonmel next week over two and a half miles, and there’s a mares’ handicap chase at Fairyhouse at the end of the month. She’s rated 140, she would have top weight in the handicap so I’m inclined to think that she deserves to take her chance in a listed chase.

Annexation

We bought him as a flat horse, and he won on the flat for us first time, but he is a lovely galloping horse at home, he always looked like he had quite a bit of stamina. He was good in winning his maiden hurdle at Navan, and he has been in great form since. He’s in the Grade 3 For Auction Hurdle at Navan on Sunday, so we’ll see how he goes there.

A Plus Tard

He’s in good form. He has had a lovely break. We’re aiming at the Fortria Chase at Navan to get him started, as we did last year. He’s still only six, he is still a young horse. We were a bit disappointed with him in the Ryanair Chase in March on the day, but Min is a very good horse and we were beaten less than two lengths. His form seems to be far stronger going left, so we will keep him to left-handed tracks for now. He’s very good over any trip, he ran to a mark of 167 in Cheltenham over two miles and five furlongs, and he won a Grade 1 over two miles and a furlong at Leopardstown at Christmas, and I wouldn’t be opposed to trying him over three miles again at some point.

Aspire Tower

He was brilliant in winning the Grade 2 WKD Hurdle at Down Royal, we were delighted with him and Rachael was really happy with him. We were getting 6lb off Abacadabras, but 2lb of that was weight for age, and it as a lovely first run back. He’s still only a four-year-old, so this season might be a tough season for him, but he’s started it really well. Hopefully he’ll continue to progress. It’s likely that he’ll go straight to Leopardstown now at Christmas for the December Hurdle.

Balko Des Flos

He ran well for a long way on his seasonal debut at Punchestown, he just got tired, but he was probably a bit disappointing at Down Royal in the Champion Chase, he didn’t jump as well as he can jump. He’ll be entered in the John Durkan Chase at Punchestown next month, so we’ll see how that goes.

Benruben

He has only run three times for us, and he won his last two. He won well at Roscommon last time, he did it well. He’s going for the Craddockstown Chase at Punchestown next, so we’ll see how he goes there. He seems to be in good form.

Bob Olinger

He was good in winning his bumper at Gowran Park in March. He made all and won well. He’s working nicely and he’ll probably go for a maiden hurdle now at Naas or Gowran in two weeks’ time.

Brave Way

She ran really well in the Grade 3 mares’ novices’ hurdle at Down Royal. She was probably a bit green, and she’s probably more of a stayer than a two-mile horse, so it was good to get Grade 3 black type over what was probably an inadequate trip. She might go for the Grade 3 mares’ novices’ hurdle at Fairyhouse in January now.

Captain Guinness

His seasonal return at Tipperary was obviously disappointing, but he was found to have a fibrillating heart. It’s a similar thing to what Sprinter Sacre and Denman had. Rachael just said that he just lost all his power behind. It was still wrong the next day, so we sent him to a heart specialist the following day, and it had corrected itself. Apparently that’s good, that it had corrected itself, so he’ll start back slowly again, and we’ll aim for another beginners’ chase at the start of December. We had been delighted with him up to that point, he had been working well beforehand and he jumps well.

Chris’s Dream

We were really happy with his run in the Champion Chase at Down Royal, he ran a blinder. Robbie gave him a brilliant ride, and he said that he didn’t take a blow. We had a suspicion after the Gold Cup that maybe he would be better over a shorter trip. I’m very happy to go back in trip with him now, and we’ll probably aim him at John Durkan Chase at Punchestown next month.

Cobbler’s Way

He did well for us last year in novice hurdles, and hopefully he can do even better over fences. He’s working well, and he’ll go for a beginners’ chase in the next few weeks.

Commandingpresence

He is a lovely big horse, a real chaser in the making. He won a maiden hurdle at Punchestown in September by 15 lengths. He fell at the final flight in a listed novice hurdle at Limerick last time, which was a shame, but he was fine afterwards. He’ll aim either for a three-mile novice hurdle at Cork or a three-mile novice hurdle at Cheltenham in December.

Decimation

He had a really nice first run for us in a maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse, when he dead-heated for second place with another horse of ours Gua Du Large just behind Queens Brook, and he ran well last time too at Clonmel, he was just caught by another horse of ours Irascible. The pair of them pulled eight lengths clear of a 118-rated horse. Hopefully he can win his maiden hurdle soon.

Eklat De Rire

He’s a lovely horse, he won his maiden hurdle well at Thurles in March. He’s a real staying chaser in the marking, and he should be going for a beginners’ chase now in the next few weeks.

Gua Du Large

He dead-heated with Decimation for second place, just behind Queens Brook, at Fairyhouse on his debut, and we were very happy with that. He is only a four-year-old so hopefully he can continue to go forward.

Honeysuckle

She was brilliant at Cheltenham in March, she was so tough there. It’s brilliant to win any of those big races. We wanted to try and win the Mares’ Hurdle with her last season, so she has done that, which was brilliant. She seems to be in great form, she’s working well. She’s aiming for the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse again, and probably the Irish Champion Hurdle again, but we’ll see where we are after Fairyhouse.

Hurricane Cliff

He’s a nice horse, he won on the flat for us at Gowran, then he was disappointing in a good handicap. He ran well at Cork at the weekend in his first maiden hurdle, he travelled well into the home straight and then took a good blow. Hopefully he will come on for that.

Irascible

He always showed lots of pace, and he was good in winning at Clonmel on his hurdling debut, in keeping on well to beat Decimation with the pair of them nicely ahead of the third horse. We’ll probably look for a rated novice hurdle for him next.

January Jets

He won his maiden hurdle nicely in Galway in September before disappointing in a Grade 3 race at Tipperary, when the ground was probably a bit too good for him. He looks a real chaser, and he started off well behind Envoi Allen at Down Royal last weekend. He’ll aim for another beginners’ chase in the next few weeks.

Jason The Militant

He won nicely on the flat at Fairyhouse in early October, and we were very happy with his run at Down Royal last weekend, when he finished third behind Aspire Tower and Abacadabras. Paul felt he might have started racing a bit sooner than he needed to, and then he took a blow. He could go for the Morgiana Hurdle next.

Le Musigny

He ran well on his chasing debut at Punchestown three weeks ago in finishing second behind Darver Star. Hopefully he will be able to step up on that next time. He’s entered in a beginners’ chase at Navan on Sunday.

Minella Escape

He’s a nice horse. Unfortunately he fell at the last at Punchestown at the end of September on his hurdling debut when he was in front. I didn’t want to rush him back after that, but he will go for another maiden hurdle soon.

Minella Indo

I thought that he was brilliant on his seasonal return at Wexford. He was very sharp, and Rachael was delighted with him. He’ll go for a new Grade 2 intermediate chase at Navan in two weeks’ time. It’s a good race for him, although there are plenty of good second-season chasers around. It could be a hot race. He’s in great form though, he came out of the Wexford race well. We’re delighted with him.

Minella Times

He won well at Listowel in September. He jumped well and he stayed on well to win nicely. We can target some of the good staying handicap chases with him.

Monalee

He ran a massive race in the Gold Cup in March, and is in mighty form. He worked on Wednesday and he worked really well. He’s going for a listed chase at Thurles on 19th November, and hopefully he will go for the King George after that. The King George is a race that might suit him, and this could be the year to have a go at it.

Notebook

He’s great, he won two Grade 1s and a Grade 2 last year as a novice, and he has done well over the summer. He looks great, we’re very happy with him. He’ll start off in the Poplar Chase at Naas in two weeks, and we’ll take it from there.

Paloma Blue

He’s in good form. He won well at Wexford in August, and he didn’t run badly last time behind Easy Game and The Storyteller in the Grade 2 chase at Gowran over two and a half miles. He’ll be entered for the Clonmel Oil Chase next week, but we might wait for a The Ballyhack Handicap Chase over two miles at Fairyhouse at the end of the month. I think that two miles suits him better than two and a half.

Petibonome

He looks like a nice young horse. We’ll be starting him off in a maiden hurdle soon.

Plan Of Attack

He ran big races in the Paddy Power Chase and in the Kim Muir last season. He’s in the Troytown Chase at Navan on Sunday. He’s in good form, he has been working well, so we’re hoping that he can be involved in some of those good staying handicap chases again this season.

Punitive

He’s a nice progressive handicapper. He won three of his last four races over hurdles last season. He’ll be going over fences this season, and we’ll find a beginners’ chase for him soon.

Put The Kettle On

She was unbelievable last season. She was busy all through the summer, she won four on the bounce. She was always a little bit free-going so, after she just got beaten by Robin De Carlow at Tipperary in October, we said we’d drop her back in trip to two miles. A few of the owners were going over to the Chetlenham November meeting, so we just said that we’d let her take her chance in the Arkle Trial there, and she won it. After that, we decided we’d have a go at the Arkle. Why not? We went there hoping, one of her big attributes is her jumping, and she was brilliant. She’s in great form now, and we’re aiming at the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham. After that, we’ll see. She has options, Kempton at Christmas, Ascot after Christmas, Leopardstown. She’s in great form.

Royal Thief

He stayed on well to win his beginners’ chase at Kilbeggan last month. He’s a real stayer, and we’ll look for something else for him now that plays to his strengths.

Spyglass Hill

He ran no race in the Galway Plate, and he was unlucky in the Kerry National when he was badly hampered. There is a second-season chasers’ race at Gowran now in two weeks, and that looks like a good race for him.

Telmesomethinggirl

She was busy during the summer, she won well at Bellewstown in August and at Listowel in September, and she’s on her holidays now. We’ll get her back and aim her at the mares’ handicap hurdle at Leopardstown on Dublin Racing Festival weekend.

Visioman

He has progressed well. He just beat Abbey Magic in a handicap chase at Kilbeggan in September, and he won a good rated chase at Limerick last month. There is a new valuable handicap chase for second-season chasers at Punchestown on Morgiana Hurdle day, and we are aiming him at that.

Walk Away

His hurdles form was very good, but he hasn’t managed to win a chase yet. He was unlucky to fall in the Munster National last time, but hopefully he can get off the mark over fences soon.

Zarkareva

It took us a little while to work her out, but she has won her last two chases, including a Grade 3 race at Punchestown last time. She will be entered in the Arkle Trial and in the Craddockstown Chase, so she could run in one of those, or we might just wait until Leopardstown at Christmas.