Grey Swallow could be something very special

ON Friday evening, June 27, the weekend of the Irish Derby, Dermot Weld’s Grey Swallow was due to make his debut in a lowly maiden at the Curragh over seven furlongs.

The word was that the son of Daylami was rated a bit special and he was duly backed from 4-6 to 1-2.

But, of course, Grey Swallow never actually ran, after getting upset in the stalls and then having another horse literally climb in on top of him.

At the time, Weld was worried about the psychological effect the experience might have on his unraced colt. About a month later, however, Grey Swallow was produced at the Galway Festival, clearly regarded as being none the worst for his Curragh trials and tribulations.He proceeded to trounce the odds-on Rock Of Cashel by ten lengths, in a contest which saw the layers hold a remarkable amount of money.

There were big-hitters on both sides and a whopping 495,094 went through the books. That was the staggering amount wagered on a virtual match, it was 12-1 bar the two.

To put it into context, only two other races at the entire meeting, the Galway Hurdle and the Plate, had more money bet on their outcome.

We now know that Galway maiden took little winning, with Rock Of Cashel having confirmed in the meantime he is very ordinary indeed.

Fast-forward to Leopardstown on Monday and the return of Grey Swallow. On the bare form of his Galway performance he certainly didn’t deserve to go off a 4-9 shot to beat three useful rivals in Newton, Takrice and Groom Raider.

I think we would all have been surprised had he got beaten, essentially on the basis of the exceptionally positive noises Weld had been making about his charge.

But few could have been prepared for what Grey Swallow actually did. Michael Kinane set a scorching gallop on Newton and it took Grey Swallow a little while to adjust to the pace of the race.

Pat Smullen reported afterwards that Grey Swallow had never gone that fast in his life. Once he adjusted, however, he turned in a smashing display, powering eight lengths clear of Newton through the final furlong.

Weld has had many top class horses over the years, but you just have to be excused posing the question: could this be his best yet?

Getting carried away about a horse who has won just a maiden and a Group Three isn’t, ordinarily, proper behaviour. But, methinks, this is no ordinary horse!

He’s won right-handed and left-handed and coming round a bend is no problem. His temperament, already, appears ideal.

That visit to Roswell House come the spring is going to be mighty interesting.