Two runners at Thurles on Sunday for our star columnist while he reflects on some eyecatching recent winners and a potential Huntingdon raid too.
BRANDY LOVE exceeded all expectation in the manner that she won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF 4-Y-O Fillies Flat Race at Fairyhouse on Saturday. We were very, very pleased to see her do that. It was a nice start for a new client in the yard in Mike Grech and hopefully she can continue in the matter she started.
I’d imagine she’ll stay in bumpers this season and go hurdling next term.
I thought racing at Naas on Monday, where they took out all the jumps, was a little bit of a farce. Did they need to be taken out? The sun wasn’t’ coming out over the top of them.
This issue has been causing problem too often this season. Jumping is what the sport is about, jumping in sunlight is what the horses have done for hundreds of year. I can see why it happens at some tracks, where the sun does come over the fences or hurdles, but it definitely wasn’t the case at Naas.
It’s a debate that should be had between trainers, jockeys, clerks of the course and the stewards. It’s a huge disadvantage for good jumpers when obstacles are taken out, it’s not ideal, and we need to find a better solution.
Our filly ECHOES IN THE RAIN did well in the maiden hurdle. Visually she was very good but jumping four hurdles in a race isn’t a real test but I was delighted to see her improve on what she did last season.
TAKE TEA did things the hard way in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Flat Race, making most of the running and being hard on herself during the race. I thought it was going to be very tough to lead them up the hill at Naas after that. It’s a testing straight there and a tough track. Over the years horses that win first time out at Naas tend to be above average.
BILLAWAY is improving all the time and won the Bluegrass Horse Feeds Hunters Chase at Down Royal on
He is a good jumper but just needs experience and I’ll try to get one or two more runs into him before he heads to Cheltenham where he must have a good chance this year in the Foxhunters.
We have two runners at Thurles on Sunday starting with GAULOISE in the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Boreen Belle Mares Novice Hurdle.
She’s won both her races to date, including a maiden hurdle over course-and-distance. She doesn’t have a penalty to carry so the conditions of the race suit her, she’ll handle the ground and goes there with a really good chance. She’s open to a lot of improvement and we look forward to running her.
FAIS TON CHEMIN runs in the closing Best Wishes For The Festive Season (Pro/Am) Flat Race and has some good form from last season. He was fourth in what looked a warm race at Fairyhouse before disappointing at Thurles. I think the break has done him the world of good and I’m expecting a big improvement from him at the weekend.
They’re our final runners in Ireland before Christmas but we could take PURPLE MOUNTAIN over to Huntingdon on Tuesday for the Fitzdares Club Adores Henrietta Knight Mares' Standard Open NH Race.
She’s won her bumpers at Killarney and Gowran this season and there isn’t anything around I want to run her in at home at the moment. I thought she deserved an entry in this Listed event with Leopardstown at Christmas the other option but at the moment it looks like we might travel over next week.