Donn McClean gets the inside track on one of the most powerful teams around - that of Henry De Bromhead.
Last season was another hugely successful season for Henry de Bromhead. Two more Grade 1 Cheltenham Festival winners took his Cheltenham Festival haul to 23, level with Vincent O’Brien in the list of leading trainers of all time at the Festival, and, for the sixth season in a row, he finished in the top three in the Irish National Hunt trainers’ championship.
Coincidentally, when he sent out Honeysuckle to win her second Champion Hurdle in 2022 and A Plus Tard to win the Gold Cup three days later, Henry de Bromhead became the first trainer since the legendary Dr O’Brien to complete back-to-back Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup doubles. Also, De Bromhead is still the only trainer to win the Champion Hurdle, the Champion Chase and the Gold Cup in the same year, a feat that he achieved in 2021, the year that he also had the 1-2 in the Aintree Grand National with Minella Times and Balko Des Flos.
This season has already burst into life for Henry de Bromhead and his team at Knockeen. He had seven winners last weekend stretching across four days and five courses and two jurisdictions. On Saturday he had the 1-2 in the big staying handicap chase at Cheltenham and, on Monday at Wexford, Heart Wood and Inthepocket were both impressive in winning on their respective seasonal debuts.
Looks like another exciting season ahead.
Air Of Entitlement
She was impressive in winning her point-to-point for Colin Bowe, and she won her bumper nicely at Cork last April. She’s probably more of a staying mare. She’ll go hurdling now, we’ll aim for a maiden hurdle with her around mid-November.
Amirite
He ran a cracker in the Midlands National at Kilbeggan in July, but then he didn’t back that up in the Galway Plate. The ground was gone for him in Listowel, where he ran no real race in the Kerry National at Listowel. We still think that there is a good staying handicap chase in him. He’s entered in the three-mile handicap chase at Ascot on Saturday.
An Tobar
He was impressive in winning his maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse last November on his first run for us, but he didn’t go on from that, up in grade. He’s good though, he’s working away. He will go chasing now, he will aim for a beginners’ chase in the next three or four weeks. He’s doing everything well.
Arctic Bresil
He has had a good break since he was pulled up in a good handicap chase at the Punchestown Festival. He was a bit unfortunate last year, but he’s in good form now and he’s working well. He has a workable mark, and he’ll run in the next few weeks.
Ascending
I was delighted with his run in a qualified riders’ flat race at Listowel last month. He will probably go back over hurdles now after his good run in the amateur riders’ derby at The Curragh on Tuesday.
Aspire Tower
We were delighted with his win over hurdles at Punchestown last week on his seasonal return. He’s so genuine, he jumped brilliantly. We could stay hurdling for a while now, maybe see how the hurdling goes before thinking about going back over fences.
Ballyadam
He ran a great race again at Cheltenham in March to finish second in the Coral Cup. He’s in good form now, he’s ready to roll. He was ready to run in a conditions hurdle at Thurles last week but they cancelled the meeting. They’re re-staging that meeting next month, so we’ll probably aim for that race again.
Ballybrack Wood
He kept on well to win his beginners’ chase at Tramore two weeks ago. That was his first run over fences, so hopefully he can build on that. He can go for a handicap chase now.
Banprionsa
She won her maiden hurdle nicely at Tramore last November. She was probably a bit disappointing after that, but she seems to be in good form again. She’s a nicely bred mare and, she’ll go chasing now.
Beckett Rock
He was really impressive in winning his maiden hurdle on his racecourse debut at Gowran last November. He had a setback then, he didn’t get to run again last season, and he’s going to be difficult to place now. He’s obviously not a novice now and we can’t get a handicap mark. There’s a winners’ race at Punchestown in early December, and he could go for that. It will be interesting to see how he progresses this season.
Belle The Lioness
She’s in good form, she hasn’t run since April, we’re just waiting for a bit of soft ground for her. She’ll go for a two-mile handicap in the next few weeks when the ground eases.
Birdie Or Bust
She ran a cracker in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in March to finish third behind Golden Ace and Brighterdaysahead, and in front of Jade De Grugy. That form has obviously worked out very well since. The plan is to go over fences with her now, she should be ready to start in late November or early December.
Bob Olinger
He had a great season last season, winning the Lismullen Hurdle and the Relkeel Hurdle, and finishing second behind State Man in the Irish Champion Hurdle before running a big race in the Aintree Hurdle, just going down by a nose. He’ll start off again in the Lismullen. He’s in great form, he’ll start off over two and a half miles, but he could step to three miles again later in the season.
Bowmore
He was good in winning his beginners’ chase at Tipperary in July. He fell at the second last fence last time at Roscommon, but he seems to be in good form again now. We’ll give him a run on the flat and then he’ll probably go back handicap chasing.
Butch Cassidy
He’s a really nicely bred horse, a half-brother to Fayonagh, who won his bumper for Philip Fenton at Ballinrobe last April. He’s going to go hurdling, and he might start off in the two-and-a-half-mile maiden hurdle at Punchestown at the end of November.
Captain Guinness
He’s unreal, he has been a brilliant horse for us for years, and he gave us another great day when he won the Champion Chase at Cheltenham in March. He deserved that. He’s in great form now, really good. He’ll go for the Fortria Chase at Navan again, he won the Fortria on his seasonal debut in each of the last two seasons, so it makes sense to start back there again.
Captains Speech
He’s a nice young horse. He won his point-to-point at Dromahane in April, he was an impressive winner. We’re just getting to know him, he’s only a four-year-old, we’ll be in no rush with him, so we’ll see how we get on.
Champagne Mahler
He won a handicap hurdle at Gowran on Thyestes day last season, and he kept on to finish third on his chasing debut in the beginners’ race that the Galway Plate winner Pinkerton won at Tipperary in April. He was well beaten in Inthepocket’s beginners’ chase at Wexford on Monday, but he jumps well so hopefully he can improve now over fences.
Chigorin
He won his maiden hurdle nicely at Fairyhouse in December. He was bit disappointing in the Albert Bartlett Hurdle on his next run, but he’s a nice horse. He’ll go chasing now. He’s a real chaser.
Chutzpal
He won three on the bounce during the summer, on the flat and over hurdles. He’s in good form and he’ll probably go to Cheltenham in November.
Cobra Queen
She was in good form during the summer, and she didn’t run badly in a listed novice hurdle at Limerick last week. She’s going to have a break now for the winter, and we’ll bring her back in the spring.
Coming Up Easy
He was good in winning his maiden hurdle at Limerick in April, but we were disappointed with him in the listed handicap hurdle at the Punchestown Festival. He was sore when he came home, but he seems to be in good form again now. He’ll go chasing this year, he’s built to be a chaser.
Como Park
He stayed on well to win a handicap hurdle at Bellewstown in July before finishing third behind Seddon in a qualified riders’ flat race at Killarney the following month. He ran well for a long way in the Pertemps qualifier at Cheltenham on Saturday. He’s only five and we hope that he can continue to progress in staying contests this season.
Dancing On My Own
He’s in great form. He went back to Cheltenham on Friday for the two-mile handicap chase that he won last year, and he ran another big race to finish third. He’s 10 now but he still deserves his place in those good two-mile handicap chases.
Doonbeg Don
He ran well at Roscommon there a few weeks ago over hurdles, and he stayed on bravely to win a handicap chase at Galway on Sunday on his chasing debut. Hopefully he can build on that now.
Downmexicoway
He seems like a nice young horse, a point-to-point winner and out of a half-sister to Get Me Out Of Here. He ran really well at Galway on Saturday on his first run for us, he was only just caught close home. We were delighted with that, his first run for a year and a half.
Echoing Silence
She was impressive in winning her point-to-point for Sam Curling last March. She is a nicely bred mare, she’s a half-sister to Deafening Silence, who won a Grade 2 novice hurdle at Sandown last December. She is a big, chasing mare, and she will start off in a maiden hurdle in the next few weeks.
El Barakah
He had his first run for is in a maiden hurdle at Killarney in July, and he had his second run for us at Galway on Sunday, when he just started to tire on the run to the second last flight. He’s suited by an ease in the ground.
Elusive Prince
He didn’t run badly in a maiden hurdle at Clonmel on Thursday when he finished second. We decided to let him take his chance then at Wexford on Monday, but he couldn't build on that. We’ll re-group with him now.
Envoi Allen
He’s an unbelievable horse. He’s heading to Down Royal again for the Champion Chase. He won the race in 2022, that was his fourth time winning at the big Down Royal meeting, and he was only just beaten in the race last year by Gerri Colombe, who went on to finish second in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He seems to be in great form.
Forty Coats
He’s a nice young horse. He’s a point-to-point winner, and he won his bumper at Naas in April on his debut under Rules. He’ll start off in a maiden hurdle in the next few weeks and we’ll go from there.
Freddie Robdal
It was great to see him get another win on the board for the lads during the summer at Wexford. He’s a grand horse, he’s a real two-miler.
Fruit De Mer
He was impressive in winning his point-to-point for Donnchadh Doyle at Ballycrystal in April. He’ll probably go for a bumper and we’ll take it from there, but we’re in no major rush with him.
Full Of Life
Another point-to-point winner, we bought her at the Tattersalls Cheltenham sale in March. She seems like a nice mare. We will go for a maiden hurdle with her in next few weeks.
Garde La Peche
She was a little bit sore in front after her run at Tramore in August. She seems to be good there now, and hopefully we’ll run her in the next few weeks.
Global Submission
He finished third in a point-to-point at Dromahane in April. He looks like a nice young horse, we’ll assess him and see where we go with him.
Gold Bullion
He finished third in competitive handicap chases at the Punchestown Festival and at Roscommon in the summer. He’s still lightly raced, and he’ll aim for a handicap chase at the end of November or in early December.
Good N’ Kind
He was impressive in winning his point-to-point in December, and he ran well in a bumper at Gowran in March on his first run for us. He’ll go for a maiden hurdle now next month and we’ll go from there.
Gorgeous Tom
He won nicely on his chasing debut at Wexford in August, and he was a bit unlucky to fall at Tipperary there a few weeks ago. He’s well though, and the plan is to go for a novice chase at Cork in early November.
Great Bear
He ran well in a couple of handicap chases during the summer. He is a few pounds lower over hurdles than he is over fences. He ran well for a long way in a handicap hurdle at Clonmel on Thursday over almost two and a half miles, so we might drop back down to two now.
Grooveykindoflove
She was only just beaten in a mares’ maiden hurdle at Wexford in April, and she was only just beaten again in another mares’ maiden hurdle at Roscommon last month. She seems to be in good form, and she’s aiming for another maiden hurdle at Thurles at the end of this month.
Hand Over Fist
He stayed on well to win his second handicap chase at Cork there a few weeks ago over three miles. He’s a real stayer. He might sneak into the Cork National, and he will either go for that or a three-mile handicap chase at Down Royal.
Harry Des Ongrais
It’s good to have him back. He was out for all of last season, but he’s working away, he’s in good form. He was a good staying novice hurdler two seasons ago, and he’ll head over fences now.
Harry’s Legacy
He was a bit disappointing in the premier handicap over two miles at Naas last week, but he’s in good form now, and we could go over hurdles with him. He jumps well, and he could be an interesting recruit to hurdles.
Heart Wood
He did well last season, winning the Leopardstown Chase at the Dublin Racing Festival and then finishing third in the Grade 1 Mildmay Chase at Aintree. He started off this season on Monday at Wexford in the listed second season chasers’ race that Minella Indo and Eklat De Rire have won in recent years, and he was very good in winning it. He warmed to his fences nicely, and he picked up really well. He’s pacey, but we’ll have a look at going three miles with him again.
Hiddenvalley Lake
He did really well for us last season too. He won the Boyne Hurdle in February and then ran a big race to finish third in the Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree. He fell on his chasing debut at Navan in December, so we just decided to postpone chasing for him for the remainder of the season. He jumps well at home though, and we’re looking forward to seeing how he gets on over fences again this season.
Hispanic Moon
She’s in good form. She will go for the listed mares’ hurdle that she won last year on her first run for us at Punchestown. We’ll start there and we’ll see where we go after.
Inthepocket
Winner of the Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree in April 2023, he only ran once last year, he finished second behind Facile Vega in a beginners’ chase at Navan in November. He had a setback after that, so we left him off and said that we would bring him back this season. He returned at Wexford on Monday where he was very good in winning his beginners’ chase. He’s got a big engine, so we’ll just see where he ends up.
Jane Eire
She was a bit unlucky the last day at Gowran not to win her maiden hurdle, she went down by just a short head. That was just her second run. She’ll probably have one more run, then we’ll leave her off and bring her back in the spring.
Jasko Des Dames
We were a bit disappointed that he didn’t win his maiden hurdle. He is a horse with ability though, and he was good in winning his beginners’ chase on his chasing debut at Wexford on Sunday. Hopefully he can build on that now.
Journey With Me
He didn’t start back until March last season, but he was good in winning the Grade 2 chase at Fairyhouse in April. He’s in really good form now, and he’ll probably go for the Clonmel Oil Chase on 7th November.
Jungle Boogie
He kept on well to win the Savills Chase at Tramore on New Year’s Day last season, and he ran well for a long way in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. He’s 10 now rising 11, but he’s very lightly raced, he’s only raced four times over fences. He should be ready to start back in late November or early December.
Kilgame
He’s a nice young horse who finished second in a conditions hurdle at Auteuil in March. He’ll go hurdling for us now and we’ll see how he progresses.
Koktail Divin
He’s another nice young horse we have got from France. He’s a nice big scopey horse, and we’re looking forward to seeing how he progresses.
Kudasheva
It was good to see her win her beginners’ chase at Wexford in July. She had been disappointing before that, but she kept on well that day. She might have a break in the next few weeks but hopefully she can progress now over fences.
Lady Bresil
She won her maiden hurdle nicely at Clonmel on her first run for us. She’s a nicely bred mare, from the family of Wichita Lineman and Rhinestone Cowboy, and she’ll go chasing now in the next few weeks.
Lady Rose Hackett
She won her only point-to-point and she ran in a bumper and in a maiden hurdle for us last season. We had her entered at Clonmel on Thursday, but the ground is just a bit good for her. We’ll wait until she gets an ease in the ground.
Lantry Lady
She’s in great form, but she loves heavy ground. She won her maiden hurdle on heavy ground, and she won the Red Mills Trial Hurdle at Gowran Park last February on heavy ground. We have the option of going over fences with her too this season.
Let’s Go Champ
It looked like he was travelling really well in the Galway Plate during the summer, but his effort just petered out a bit. He’s in really good form now, he’ll probably go to Cheltenham for the Paddy Power Chase.
Lieber Nicc
He kept on well to win his maiden hurdle at Wexford in July, and he ran well in a rated novice hurdle at Killarney a few weeks ago. He’s progressive, and we’re aiming for the good two-mile handicap hurdle at Down Royal next week.
Life In The Park
He’s good. He ran well in the Galway Plate last time. It was his first run since Aintree and he kept on well to finish fourth. We’ll go for some of those better handicaps now and see how he gets on.
Look To The West
She won her maiden hurdle at Navan last November on her first run for us, and she finished third in the Grade 3 Solerina Hurdle at Fairyhouse next time. She’s going chasing this season. She’s in good form and she’ll start off in a mares’ beginners’ chase.
Love Me
She ran well on her racecourse debut in a maiden hurdle at Limerick in April. She was a bit disappointing on her second run at Ballinrobe the following month, so we gave her a break after that. She returned in a four-year-olds’ maiden hurdle at Wexford on Monday, where she travelled well for a long way before tiring from the second last flight. Hopefully she can build on that now.
Lucky Zebo
He was disappointing in the Silver Trophy at Chepstow the other day on his first run since July. He can have a run like that, he looked to be going well, we’re not sure what happened. We hope to have him back on track in the next few weeks though, and he might go for the Brown Lad at Naas.
Mack The Chemist
He had a good run at Cork over hurdles in March on his debut. He was a little disappointing next time in a bumper, but he’s in good form now. He loves soft ground and he’ll go back hurdling when there is a good ease in the ground.
Magic Day
She seems like a lovely mare. She’s a full-sister to Magic Daze, and she ran well to finish second in her point-to-point in April. Hopefully she has plenty of her sister’s talent, and we’re looking forward to getting going with her.
Magical Zoe
She provided us with a fantastic day at York in August when she won the Ebor. She obviously did really well last year over hurdles but I’d say she’ll stick to the flat now. We’ll see how things pan out, but she might be going to Saudi Arabia in February.
Mahon’s Way
It took a while for us to work it out, but he’s probably better going left-handed than going right. He won his maiden hurdle at Naas, then he was disappointing at Cork and at Thurles, before running well in a Grade 3 race back at Naas in March. We’ll go chasing with him this year and we’ll see how he goes.
Majestic Force
She won her only point-to-point, and she stayed on well to win her maiden hurdle at Punchestown in February. She ran well too for a long way in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham for a staying mare. She will go for a beginners’ chase now all going well in the next five or six weeks.
Marv Michael
He had a great summer, I was delighted for the lads who own him, they are great supporters of ours. He ran in a novices’ handicap chase at Cheltenham on Saturday, where he ran well for a long way. That was only his second chase, so we’re hoping that there is more to come from him over fences.
Minella Indo
He’s a legend. What a run last week in the Grade 3 chase at Punchestown. They went a real good gallop, they went two-and-a-half-mile pace, and the winner was very good, on his day he’s a very good horse. Indo was giving him 6lb, and he had a blow afterwards, he’ll come on plenty for it. It’s a pity that they changed the Cross-Country Chase at Cheltenham to a handicap, but at least it’s a limited handicap, so it could still be his target. He ran such a big race in the Grand National as well, and that is a possibility again this season.
Miss Tempo
She’s in good form now. She had a very minor setback but she seems good again now. We might look at Cheltenham in November for her.
Monty’s Star
He was a high-class staying novice hurdler, and he had a really good season last season as a novice chaser. He won his beginners’ chase at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve, and he ran really well in the Brown Advisory Chase at Cheltenham in finishing second behind Fact To File. He ran a big race at Punchestown too. He’s in good form now, all seems good with him, and he should be starting back in early December. We’re hoping that he can improve enough to be a Gold Cup horse.
Mossy Fen Park
He’s a lovely young horse, we’re very happy with him. He could have run over fences a couple of times this season already, but we just didn’t run him for different reasons. We thought that the ground was too soft for him at Listowel and that it was too good for him at Gowran. He’s a point-to-point winner, and he could start off in a beginners’ chase at Down Royal.
Music Of Tara
She was game in winning a competitive handicap hurdle at Leopardstown at Christmas, and she won her novice chase nicely at Tipperary in April. She was fairly badly hampered by a faller early on on her handicap chase debut at Wexford on Sunday, but hopefully she can make her way in handicap chases now.
Mystical Goddess
She’s a nice mare. She won her point-to-point and she was impressive in winning her maiden hurdle first rime out for us at Clonmel three weeks ago. She’ll go for mares’ hurdle at Down Royal now. She looks nice.
Nara
Her best run for us last season was at the Punchestown Festival when she finished third in a good handicap hurdle there. She fell at Sligo on her chasing debut at the start of this month, but she had jumped well up to that point. Hopefully we’ll run her again now in the next few weeks. She always gave the impression that she’d be a better chaser than hurdler.
Nas Na Riogh
He ended up having a great season last season. He won his last two races, he was impressive in winning his maiden hurdle at Tipperary, and then he was game in following up at Killarney. Hopefully he can continue his progress this season.
Nastya
She’s a nice mare, she came well recommended after she won her point-to-point in April. She’ll aim for a maiden hurdle in the next few weeks.
Native Speaker
He was disappointing in Sligo earlier this month. We’re not sure why, we think that it was a combination of the ground and the track. It was nice to see him winning his maiden hurdle in Kilbeggan in August though. We’ll aim for another beginners’ chase in the next few weeks.
Newtown Rambler
He ran well to finish second in a maiden hurdle at Downpatrick in September on his first run for us, and he improved on that to win a qualified riders’ maiden hurdle at Sligo on Friday. He’s a half-brother to the Grand National winner Corach Rambler, and he could go out in trip again now.
Peaceinthevalley
He’s a nice horse. It looked like he was going to win his point-to-point at Ballindenisk in May when he unseated at the last. Pat Doyle always liked him, and he has been doing everything right at home for us. He’ll go for a maiden hurdle in the next few weeks, all going well.
Popova
She finished behind Music Of Tara in that handicap chase at Wexford on Sunday. She won her beginners’ chase nicely at Tipperary in June, but there are not many options for a chasing mare during the summer.
Potters Party
He is going for the three-mile handicap chase in Down Royal. He’s in good form and he stays well.
Quantum Quest
He seems a like a nice young horse, and it was lovely to get him to train for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede, one of two new horses that we have for them. He has only just come to us, he’s working away, we’re getting to know him but he seems nice.
Queen Jane
She had a great first run last season, when she stayed on well and just failed to catch Brides Hill in a mares’ handicap chase at Fairyhouse. But she didn’t go on from that last year. We’ll give her another go now this year, so hopefully she will be able to re-discover her best form.
Quilixios
He’s in great form. The 2021 Triumph Hurdle winner, he won well at Limerick and at Naas last season, and he didn’t run badly in the Grade 1 Maghull Chase at Aintree in April. He’ll go for the second season chasers’ chase at Naas on 10th November.
Red Glory
He has given the lads plenty of fun, he won at Killarney during the summer, and he was placed at Naas and Tipperary and Downpatrick. He’s entered in a handicap hurdle at Cork on Sunday.
Rockonliam
He’s a nice young horse. It looked like he was going to win his point-to-point at Lisronagh in February when he fell at the last. He is nicely bred, his brother Captain Cody won the Grade 2 novices’ hurdle at Fairyhouse in March. He looks like a real chasing horse for the future, but he’ll probably start over hurdles.
Rosalys
She was good in winning a novice hurdle at Tramore over two and a half miles in August, and I thought she ran really well at Gowran a few weeks ago over three on her first run in a handicap. Hopefully she can continue to improve now over those types of distances.
Sam Magee
He ran okay there last week at Punchestown. That was his third beginners’ chase, and he’ll go down the handicap route now.
Scope To Improve
He was impressive in winning his point-to-point in May, and the horse he beat into second place came out and won his point-to-point next time. He seems like a nice young horse. We’ll assess him now, he’s only four, and we’ll see where we are with him.
Senior Chief
We were obviously delighted with his win at Cheltenham. He had been disappointing in the Irish National in April, so we gave him a break and brought him back. I had always thought of him as an Aintree Grand National horse. His run at Fairyhouse threw me a bit, so we’ll see. Maybe he’s a better horse going left-handed.
Shantreusse
He’s entered in the Grand Sefton Chase at Aintree next month. He was travelling well in the Topham Chase over the same course and distance in April when he made a terrible mistake at the fifth last fence. He had been travelling and jumping well up to that point, he seemed to enjoy jumping the big fences, so we’re looking forward to taking him back there.
Sky Lord
He was only just beaten in a bumper at Fairyhouse on his first run for us in February by a horse who won his maiden hurdle at Galway there on Saturday. He’s a half-brother to the Coral Gold Cup winner Le Milos, and he looks like a horse who has plenty of potential. He’ll run in a maiden hurdle in mid to late November.
Slade Steel
He was brilliant in March, winning the Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle. He seems to be in good form, he has been working well and he has schooled well. We’re looking forward to seeing him over fences now. He’ll aim for a beginners’ chase in the next few weeks.
Sommesky
He looked like a nice horse last year, he’s from the family of The New One, he won his bumper on his debut in March, and he has done really well over the summer. He has got bigger and stronger. He will probably start off in a maiden hurdle in mid to late November.
Stoneyford Lady
She ran well on her racecourse debut in a maiden hurdle at Naas in January, but she was disappointing in her next two runs. She was better in another maiden hurdle at Wexford on Monday, and hopefully she can come on for that. She’s a half-sister to Captain Guinness, so hopefully she can progress now this season.
Tag Man
He was good in winning at Down Royal in August. He stayed the three-mile trip well, and that opened up options for him. He might go for the Pertemps qualifier at Punchestown at the end of November, and we’ll go from there.
Tangara Bay
She had a lovely run in a four-year-old fillies’ bumper on her racecourse debut at Ballinrobe in August. She didn’t build on that at Galway on Sunday, but she has time on her side.
Taponthego
He’s a nice young horse, Colin Motherway recommended him to us after he finished second for him in a point-to-point in March. He ran well on his first run for us to finish second in a maiden hurdle at Wexford on Sunday, with the first two clear, and he should improve again for that run.
Tareze
Winner of her only point-to-point for Colin Bowe, she ran well in two maiden hurdles at Punchestown last winter, and she won nicely at Clonmel last Thursday. She had just moved up to challenge the leader when that rival departed at the second last flight. We will look for a winners’ race for her now.
The Big Westerner
She stayed on well to win her only point-to-point in March. We had her entered at Clonmel last Thursday, but we decided to wait on the ground. She’s a nice young mare, she’s a half-sister to the Albert Bartlett Hurdle winner Stay Away Fay, and we’re looking forward to getting her going now.
The Folkes Tiara
He was great last year in winning the two-mile-one-furlong handicap chase at Leopardstown at Christmas. He’s on a bit of a break now, and we’ll aim for Leopardstown at Christmas again with him.
The Short Go
He ran a great race in the handicap chase that Senior Chief won at Cheltenham on Saturday. He was well back in the field early on, but he stayed on well to finish second. That was only his fourth chase, so we hope that he can improve again.
Theatre Native
She was good in winning her maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse in February, but she couldn't build on that in better company at Fairyhouse and Punchestown. She seems to be in good form now, she’ll go chasing this year and she should be ready to start in mid to late November.
Toss Again
He was disappointing at Chepstow a few weeks ago when he lost a shoe. We’ll re-group with him now.
Walks In June
He’s a lovely young horse, a real baby who won his only point-to-point in May. We’ll take our time with him this year with a view to going hurdling next season.
Waterford Whispers
He progressed nicely last season over hurdles, and he ran a massive race in the Martin Pipe Hurdle at Cheltenham in March to finish second. He’s going chasing, that’s what he’s made for, and he seems to be in good form. He should be starting off around the end of November.
Withabitofluk
He kept on well to win his bumper on his racecourse debut at Bellewstown in April. He’s a nice horse, and he’ll aim for a maiden hurdle in the next four to six weeks.
Wonleg
We were delighted with him when he won a four-year-olds’ maiden hurdle at Roscommon at the end of September on his first run for us. He’ll probably go for another four-year-olds’ hurdle at Naas now on 10thNovember.
Workahead
He’s a nice horse. He won the point-to-point in which Nas Na Riogh fell in January last year. He had a setback after that, but he’s working well now. He looks nice and we’re looking forward to getting him going.
Yeshil
He is the other horse we have for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede. He ran well in the Goffs Defender Bumper at Fairyhouse in April on his racecourse debut for Stuart Crawford. He looks like a nice horse and he’ll start off in a maiden hurdle soon.
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