Watson Lake was just stunning
He may well be right, but you would have to think the return to form of Noel Meade’s horses is a major plus, particularly in the novice hurdle department.
We’ve gone down this road before, but last year we travelled to Cheltenham with a mighty strong team of novice hurdlers.
Heading to Leopardstown at the weekend there was little cause for optimism. But a quite stunning display from Watson Lake offered some hope.
After the Be My Native gelding had toyed with the useful Away Home, Meade remarked: “he has an engine.”
No argument with that, but it was the manner of Watson Lake’s performance which was so impressive. You could have found big holes in his form, with the horse’s inability to settle in his races a major minus.
He didn’t settle at Leopardstown either, pulling and dragging all down the back, under Ian Power. I watched the race in the stands with a press-room colleague, who enjoys a tasty bet, plenty of them.
He had been waxing lyrical for a number of weeks as to how good Watson Lake was. I’d been taking it with the usual pinch of salt. Watson Lake just wouldn’t drop the bit down the back and I stole a quick glance at my colleague. It would be no exaggeration to say he had turned a sort of crimson colour.
Indeed, I hadn’t actually seen his perky little cheeks go that colour since Le Coudray got mugged in the final stride by 40-1 shot Anzum in the Stayers’ Hurdle at Cheltenham in ’99.
When horses aren’t relaxed and pulling hard, they rarely find anything off the bridle. Waited for Watson Lake to cut out, as he surely would!
But it never happened. He found loads when asked to quicken and scored with any amount in hand. It was a high-class performance and only a potential top-notcher could behave the way he did and still win doing handstands.
What is even more encouraging, however, is the notion Meade could have one who is even better than Watson Lake.
It will have to be either Zum See or Mark The Man, both having disappointed badly on their latest appearances.
Meade mentioned all three as possibilites for Sunday week’s Deloitte and Touche Novice Hurdle, back at Leopardstown.
Zum See has been given an entry at Punchestown on Sunday, but the bottom line is that the Meath handler’s choice for that Deloitte is going to be highly significant. The Leopardstown punter should’t lose faith just yet!
lLOVE Kicking King, got a few quid out of him at Leopardstown, but was mildly disappointed with his performance.
He fell two out at the track at Christmas and I thought, if he stood up, would have won a hundred yards.
He ran down the second last then, paying the ultimate penalty, and repeated the dose on Sunday, this time at the final fence.
If you ever listen to Ted Walsh on RTE, one of his favourite sayings is: “ran as straight as a gun-barrel.”
He simply loves horses who behave like that, believing there are no kinks in their make-up.
Kicking King is terrific, but should really have “kicked” the opposition out of the way better than he did.
Tom Taaffe thinks he was flat and promises to have him well freshened up by the Festival.
The word on Kicking King, in the week or two before Cheltenham, will be mighty interesting.
lCANNOT for the life of me understand all the hype about Charlie Swan’s Hasanpour as a possible Triumph Hurdle winner.
We know he won twice on the level for Michael Stoute and that he cost £150,000.
On his first run in Ireland and first over hurdles, he beat Hard Shoulder by ten lengths at Cork earlier in the month.
The same Hard Shoulder was friendless in the market at Tramore on Tuesday, when ten lengths fourth behind Verrocchio.
Anyone fancy Verrocchio for the Triumph? Hasanpour is currently the shortest-priced Irish horse for the Triumph in most lists.
But if he is the best juvenile hurdler in the country right now then I’ll eat my hat. Mind you one would have to buy a hat first.
