Joseph O'Brien knows what it takes to win the Kerry National, and San Salvador has the credentials

O'Brien has won the big race at the Listowel Harvest Festival twice in recent years with Assemble and Busselton.

Wed, 24 Sep, 2025 - 05:38

Tommy Lyons

In a deeply competitive renewal of the Guinness Kerry National, San Salvador can give Joseph O’Brien a third win in the race since 2021.

The nine-year-old is a smart dual-purpose performer and, after a number of decent efforts on the Flat, he returned to chasing for the Galway Blazers’ Chase and was noted making steady late progress into fourth place behind Turnpike Trip.

That effort suggested he would be suited by a step up to three miles, which he gets here, and his record shows that this track suits.

On his first visit, he won a maiden hurdle and, at this meeting in 2024, he backed it up with victory in a novice chase, beating a stablemate, Jordans, who went on to win a Grade Three and finish runner-up in two Grade Ones.

O’Brien clearly knows what is required to win this race, having done so with Assemble and Busselton, who is in the field once more, and San Salvador has the right credentials to make it three for his trainer.

You Oughta Know found a winning turn last time and as a lightly raced and improving sort, cannot be dismissed, while his stablemate, Spanish Harlem, may not do much in a hurry but his run in the Sandown Gold Cup suggests he can have a say in the finish.

Anyway unseated early in the Galway Plate but beat You Oughta Know quite readily in a beginners’ chase at Kilbeggan and will go well if producing a similar effort to that when he finished runner-up in the novices’ handicap chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Nara would be of immediate interest if getting into the race. The first reserve lacks experience but looks potentially well treated off her mark of 136 and this test should not prove beyond her.

Considering the weight of money behind him, Night Moon was certainly disappointing at Galway but can make amends by taking the opening race, the McSweeney Brothers Maiden Hurdle.

A smart sort on the Flat, when trained by David Marnane, he was off the track for a long time prior to that Galway debut for Willie Mullins. He was close enough to have a say in the finish that day and yet he never looked like justifying the market support.

With the run behind him, and with a hood and a tongue-tie fitted for the first time, he can come out on top in what does not look like a strong race. I’ll Sort That, who won two bumpers, is the most likely danger.

The exciting Davy Crockett can extend his perfect record to three by taking the Seamus Mulvaney Bookmaker Novice Hurdle.

The four-year-old was a runaway winner of his only bumper outing and then sent off a similarly short price to make a winning start over timber at the Galway festival. A bad mistake at the second-last checked his momentum but he picked up again and ran out a comfortable winner.

There is plenty more to come from the son of former Champion Hurdle winner Annie Power, and he can take this at the expense of former Irish Leger winner Sonnyboyliston, who made a belated winning debut over hurdles when successful here in May.

LISTOWEL

Tommy Lyons

2:05 Night Moon (nap)

2:40 Davy Crockett (nb)

3:15 Miss Lia

3:50 Duke Silver

4:23 San Salvador

4:58 Speculatrix

5:33 Apache Tribe

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2:05 I’ll Sort That

2:40 Sonnyboyliston