JOSEPH O’Brien is responsible for a formidable team of bumper horses and heads to the Dublin Racing Festival full of confidence, particularly with his team of younger horses. The 26-year-old is responsible for 25 entries over the two days, his most yet, and many will see Fakir D’oudairies as the flagbearer for the Piltown stable.
A classy novice hurdler last season, finishing a very respectable fourth in the Champion Hurdle as a four-year-old before taking the runner-up spot at both Aintree and Punchestown, Fakir D’oudairies was always going to be an exciting recruit to the chasing ranks.
With representatives in a number of Grade 1s and an exciting team of younger horses for the two-day meeting, Joseph talks us through his intended runners and gives an update on some of his horses for later in the season.
A Wave Of The Sea
Born To Sea – Je T’Adore
4yo b g (21123)
J.P. McManus
There’s a good chance he’ll run in here [Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle]. Obviously Henry’s [Aspire Tower] will be hard to beat. I was hoping our horse would get much closer to Aspire Tower the last day, but that’s just how it goes.
Castra Vetera
Jeremy – Mystic Cherry
5yo b m (1)
Gigginstown House Stud
She’s a very nice filly and won well at Fairyhouse. She might run in the Grade 2 mares’ bumper on the Sunday.
Cerberus
Iffraaj – Miss You Too
4yo ch g (22112)
J.P. McManus
He’s another likely runner in the Spring Juvenile. Henry’s will again, be hard to beat. He has a bit to step up if he’s to win a Triumph Hurdle but he’s a decent horse who’ll be winning plenty of races.
Darasso
Konig Turf – Nassora
7yo br g (2511-4)
J. P. McManus
Unless the ground comes up very soft, it’s unlikely he’ll run here. We were disappointed at Haydock but the ground wasn’t as heavy as we’d hoped going over there. Haydock is a tight track as well so I wouldn’t lose faith in him just yet. He’s a very good horse and I think he’s got a big future, whether that’s over hurdles or fences, I’m not certain yet. He’ll come into his own when he gets nice heavy ground and goes a little further than two miles.
Early Doors
Soldier Of Fortune – Ymlaen
7yo b g (521-22)
J.P. McManus
He’s jumped well in both his starts over fences and ran well last time at Punchestown. He was interfered with a bit at the second last with a couple of horses falling in front of him. He hasn’t done anything wrong over fences but he hasn’t set the world alight either.
Eric Bloodaxe
Saint Des Saints – Diorissima
5yo bl g (11)
Gigginstown House Stud
I’ve been lucky this year to have a couple of very nice bumper horses so we’ll be well represented in the couple of bumpers. Eric Bloodaxe has done nothing wrong, he looks a decent horse. The young horses coming through, the novices and bumper horses, are the future so it’s important to be well represented. He’s been impressive on both of his starts and we’re looking forward to running him. Forged In Fire and another of ours might run here too.
Eric Bloodaxe will bid to make it three-from-three in bumpers with a win at the Dublin Racing Festival \ carolinenorris.ie
Fakir D’oudairies
Kapgarde – Niagaria Du Bois
4yo b g (422-112)
J.P. Mc Manus
He has two entries over the weekend and we probably haven’t finalised the decision of where he runs. We’re hoping the ground will be on the easy side and we’re looking forward to getting him out again. Touch wood, he’s always been quite good jumping fences, he’s been a natural since he started. He put in a great round of jumping at Navan and again in Fairyhouse. He maybe didn’t get into the same rhythm in Leopardstown as he did the other days but hopefully we can get him back into that rhythm next time. I think the ground will probably make the final decision for us as to where he’ll run. He’ll be left in the Arkle and the Flogas up until the last minute and we’ll make up our mind as late as we can. If he went for the Arkle, we’d hope that we’d get a lot closer to Notebook this time around. He’s already won over two-and-a-half so he’d have no problem with the Flogas trip.
Le Richebourg
Network – Fee Magic
7yo b g (511211-)
J.P. McManus
He was due to run on New Year’s Eve but he had another little setback. He’s in training and there’s a chance he might make some of the festivals in the spring. Cheltenham is obviously the first of them, so that might be less likely than the others.
Shady Operator
Court Cave – Native Artist
7yo b g (47PU-303)
J.P. McManus
Shady Operator is in very good shape and he’ll go for the Leopardstown Handicap Chase. He ran well at Limerick over Christmas behind Sumos Novios and Minella Times and I think he’ll have a good each-way chance in this.
Us And Them
Stowaway – Manorville
7yo b g (2UR-3788)
Burnham Plastering & Dry Lining Limited
We’re looking forward to hopefully getting him back on some nicer ground. He’s in good shape at home and has an option in the Matheson Handicap Chase and some other races as well. He has two entries at the Dublin Racing Festival. (Matheson Handicap Chase over 2m 1f and the Leopardstown Handicap Chase over 2m 5f) and we’re not sure where he’ll go yet. I thought he was running well in the Dan Moore at Fairyhouse before his mistake and he just struggled on the very heavy ground there.