Dollars could be real moneyspinner for Meade over fences
Alright, alright those Australians pucking the unfortunate heads off the Irish GAA players made for riveting television and why our lads would ever want to subject themselves to that again defies logic.
But we digress. Anyway, for me it came in spades at Down Royal last Friday when Noel Meade's Afistfullofdollars won a beginners chase.
There is nothing particularly noteworthy about this type of event and we all know it is just the first step for horses heading down the chasing route.
But there was something just a bit special about the seven-year-old's performance and he had you out of the couch, on your feet and watching like a hawk in no time at all.
Afistfullofdollars came into that contest as no more than a useful talent, a promising horse, who might, or might not, go on to better things.
His previous record saw him with just three successes to his name, a bumper and two hurdle races. Importantly, however, those two hurdle victories came from only three attempts and the other effort was at Thurles, a track, for whatever reason, he seemed to totally resent.
To my eyes Afistfullofdollars had chaser stamped all over him and you would have to say this was a stunning start.
His jumping was an absolute joy. You couldn't wait for the next fence to arrive and that is most unusual when it comes to novices, especially at this early part of the campaign, as they learn their new trade.
He beat reliable yardstick, Macs Flamingo, by eight lengths, but it could really have been 28 lengths had Paul Carberry so wished.
It is the easiest thing in the world to get carried away after one performance and we won't be doing that.
Nevertheless, his second outing over fences is eagerly awaited and it is easy to understand why Meade hopes he may win him a SunAlliance Novices Chase.
Meade still has only one Cheltenham Festival success to his name, Sausalito Bay, five years ago.
Remember what he beat? It was Best Mate, actually, and Meade is surely too talented a trainer not to add to that tally in the near future.
Something else worth mentioning regarding Afistfullofdollars and that Down Royal performance was his price.
You'd have to say the 4-1 and 7-2 in the morning and the 3-1 on-track was fantastic value. It isn't like the compilers to get it that wrong and, of course, he went off the 7-4 favourite.
WOULDN'T pretend to know much about point-to-points any more, but can't help concluding all the same that last season must have been a vintage campaign.
The number of horses who have emerged from the fields to score on the track of late has been quite amazing.
And a lot of them have looked very smart indeed. Mossbank, Hear The Echo, Drunken Disorderly, Mr Nosie, Vic Venturi, College Ace and Ballyagran are a few that have caught the eye.
And another, One Cool Cookie, runner-up behind Letterman at Punchestown last week, is surely a winner waiting in the wings.
And there are other more seasoned horses, like War Of Attrition, Southern Vic and Kill Devil Hill, also products of the points, who threaten to make a big impact in the months ahead.
Willie Mullins' Mister Hight figures near the head of the market in most lists for Cheltenham's Triumph Hurdle and you would almost, but not quite, be tempted.
He's been good to us in his last two outings on the flat, at Navan and Leopardstown, winning in a canter on both occasions.
He has loads of ability, travels beautifully through his races, has plenty speed and seems to stay really well on top of all that.
A future over flights is next and he has the attributes to make a big impact at the game.
The problem, of course, is that he simply adores testing conditions and the softer the surface the more effective he is.
Not even in an era of great climate change, however, can it be envisaged that the ground would come to his liking for the Triumph!
