True Self will be very hard to beat in Thurles
But, when you look at the race you can see why this is his best option.
He’s coming here to take on what you hope are exposed horses – The New One, My Tent Or Yours, etc – whereas the alternatives were to go to Kempton to take on Champion Hurdler Buveur D’Air in the Christmas Hurdle, or go to Leopardstown to take on Faugheen.
When you weigh-up everything this looks the obvious race. He won well on his return, at Down Royal, and looks to have improved a good bit since, which he will have to have.
He’s in good order, and the last time he ran at this track he finished second in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, which was an outstanding run for a horse of so little experience.
I’m looking forward to seeing him back on the track, and it should tell us whether he has improved enough to be a genuine Champion Hurdle contender or not. Even though he’s up against it on ratings, I think he has a great chance.
We have five for Fairyhouse today, starting with Bravissimo in the opening beginners’ chase.
He jumped super and travelled well in Punchestown but cut out quite quickly in that race won by The West’s Awake.
A number of the fences were omitted that day because of the low sun, and dropping back in trip and with more jumping to be done this time will suit him.
It doesn’t look an outstanding race, but he’s not ultra-reliable, so I’d be hopeful more than confident.
Bonbon Au Miel makes his chasing debut in the following race. He will love the near three-mile trip, and is a great jumper.
I’d ignore his last run, when pulled up at Punchestown, because he made two bad mistakes, and got too far back on ground that was too quick for him. He’ll be much more at home in today’s conditions, and seems to be in good order, so fingers crossed he’ll run a good race.
I’m looking forward to seeing him as he could have a bright future.
Stormy Ireland makes her debut for us in the juvenile hurdle. She’s not the biggest mare in the world, but has a bit of experience from her two runs in France.
She works and jumps well, and you’d be hoping she’d be hard to beat. At this stage of the year, anyone with a really smart juvenile maiden tends to wait for Leopardstown and, in years gone by, this hasn’t been the strongest race in the world, so hopefully she’ll be good enough to get through.
Giant Spirt was second to Bon Papa and Let’s Dance in maiden hurdles, and now makes his debut for Willie in the two-and-a-half-mile maiden. I watched him working during the week, and he looks like he’ll appreciate the trip.
With a mark of 123, we’re hoping that will be good enough to win a maiden hurdle. I doubt it would be good enough next week at Leopardstown, but it might be enough to win this race.
Colreevy runs in the fillies’ bumper, and she goes well at home. She has a good pedigree, and Patrick is hopeful she’ll be good enough to make a winning start on the track.
There are two meetings tomorrow, and Willie sends three to Navan, where Next Destination contests the Grade 2 novice hurdle. With Paul suspended, David takes the ride.
There’s no Samcro, but Gordon has a strong hand, with Cracking Smart looking the best of his three. But, I was really impressed with Next Destination at Naas. I hadn’t seen that at home.
In fairness to him, when I rode him in the Cheltenham Bumper he kept going all the way to the line.
He hadn’t shown us the turn of foot he produced from the back of the last at Naas, but that’s a good thing – that he saves it for the track. Navan will really suit him, and I think he’ll give Cracking Smart all he wants of it.
Willie runs two – Racing Pulse and Camelia De Cotte - in the valuable handicap hurdle, but both had disappointing runs the last day. Racing Pulse was very keen with me, over three and a half miles at Cork, and just ran out of puff.
Camelia De Cotte was having her first run for a long time, earlier this month at Fairyhouse, but has come on a good bit for that, and could run well at a price.
We also run three in Thurles, and Koshari makes his chasing debut in the first race. The track should suit him, though he might want a bit further than two miles.
He won over the trip as a four-year-old and that suggests to me he might prefer further. It’s also his first run for a long time, but he’s a horse with loads of ability and this isn’t the strongest of races, and it looks a good place for him to start off.
True Self runs in the mares’ listed hurdle and is my idea of the nap for the weekend.
She skated in a maiden hurdle here for Brian Hayes, and is in great form at home. She is improving all the time and I think she’ll be very, very hard to beat.
And we wrap up with Sancta Simona in the other bumper. She goes well at home and if Colreevy goes well in the bumper at Fairyhouse today, this one should go very well tomorrow.
If you were looking for Cheltenham clues last weekend, Sizing John, Un De Sceaux and Sceau Royal were the three to take out of it.
Sizing John was magnificent in the John Durkan Memorial. I don’t want to detract from what was a wonderful performance, but it’s fair to say Djakadam didn’t run his race.
If there was bottomless ground in Cheltenham in March, Un De Sceaux would be very hard to beat, whichever race he ran in. He was a joy to watch, in the Hilly Way.
The Tingle Creek was an entertaining race, but I thought Sceau Royal was the one to take out of the meeting at Sandown, and he will be a real contender in the Arkle.
And Blaklion was terrific at Aintree. He ran a great race in last season’s Grand National and to go back and do it in the Becher Chase, he must be some thrill to ride around there.
With the way he won and with handicapper Phil Smith including the ‘Aintree factor’ in his framing of the Grand National weights, you’d imagine horses rated around 150 could get a real racing weight in next year’s National.
True Self 2:15 Thurles, Sunday
Bonbon Au Miel 12:35 Fairyhouse, Saturday Sancta Simona 3:45 Thurles, Sunday
