Dundalk’s time initiative certainly worth trying
It could be a problem at some other tracks but not at Dundalk, where everything is close together. Horses can be saddled very quickly and there aren’t going to be any three-mile handicap hurdles, where they have to start way over at the other side of the track.
What racing people need to remember is that we are providing entertainment and if the space between races is a bit long for the public, we must be open to change. Because at the end of the day, we’re an industry and we need more people coming in the gates. If this helps, I’m all for it.
To be honest, I don’t think you’ll find too many people complaining about having five minutes less hanging around the middle of the parade ring watching the horses going round and round.
I was delighted with Steps To Freedom in Fairyhouse on Thursday. He was amazing and couldn’t have done it any better. He settled well, jumped well and picked up very well to win by eight lengths without breaking sweat. I could do without any of mine being odds on – I hate it – but there’s nothing I can do about it.
As a winner of the Aintree bumper, he is obviously a horse with talent but they have to do it on the track and you couldn’t have had a better introduction to hurdles. The plan is to go to Tipperary tomorrow week. We need good ground and hopefully we’ll get a bit of a dry spell for him. I was pleased enough with Moonlight Dancer, who ran in the same race.
Looking back on my other runners during the week, Elusive Lashes could have run a bit better in the opening maiden at the Curragh last Sunday, while Green Chorus was in the stalls a long time and was slowly away in the same race.
Absolute Crackers ran an absolute cracker in the big sales race. She couldn’t go with the early pace but oh my God, did she come home really strongly to catch all of them except the winner. It was a tremendous effort and we will probably go for a listed race with her over a mile.
Giving Orders was disappointing but after that, we really feel that she doesn’t go on grass. When she comes off the bridle she’s all over the place and we don’t really know why. It doesn’t happen on the polytrack though so we’ll go back there with her. She has had very little racing this year so we can hopefully get a few races on the poly.
Thirteen Up looked like he was going to run a real big race but didn’t quite finish it out. He didn’t really handle the track bit Downpatrick is like that; they either go on it or they don’t. So I was happy enough with him. He’s headed now for either hurdles or fences, I’m not quite sure which yet.
Takeyourcapoff hadn’t run for five weeks and was very free. She was fresh and well in herself, loved the ground and just did too much early on which meant she couldn’t quite get home. So we’ll probably head to the polytrack with her.
Clouded Thoughts ran a solid race as usual. He’s never been out of the first four in his life and we’ll just have to keep trying to find a race that he can win. He keeps knocking on the door.
Meitheamh is our only runner in Navan today. I’m hopeful she’ll run a big race. She ran very well when third at Listowel to a couple of good horses, having not run in nearly a year. She will improve a good bit for that run so if she relaxes, she’ll be great.
At Gowran Park, I’d expect Hudson to run better than last time out. The ground should be good which he’ll enjoy. I’m looking to get a couple of good runs into him because he’s destined for the horses in training sales. He’s got a reasonably good draw so I’m hoping he’ll run a good race.
Blaze Brightly runs in the Group 3. She has a good draw and ran a hell of a race at the Curragh last time. She seems to be in good form and it would be great if she could get a place in it.
It’s a big day at the Curragh again with the two fillies, Remember Alexander and Princess Sinead, in the Group 3 Park Stakes. There’s not a lot between the two of them and I certainly won’t be trying to split them. They both have a very good chance.
Remember Alexander has her Group 3 penalty and it would be great to win another one with her but Princess Sinead deserves to run in the race on her form. You don’t like pitting the two of them against each other but they’re fillies with ability so there are only so many places you can go with them. They both like a bit of a dig in the ground as well.
I’m looking for a big run from Galakina over a mile and a half. Hopefully the ground will suit as she just wants it easy rather than soft. She has a good draw as well. Meanwhile, I wasn’t quite convinced Chart Master stayed two miles over hurdles so we’re putting him back over a mile and a quarter on the flat to see how he gets on.
