Following a successful venture to Doncaster last week, Dave Keena got the latest on her team from Sabrina Harty
SABRINA Harty has enjoyed a terrific season and with less than 20 horses at her Curragh base, she is well on course to record her highest ever number of winners in a calendar year.
But more importantly her horses have won their fair share of prize money and as matters stand, her tally in Ireland stands at just over €172,000, but her sojourns to a handful of British tracks over the last couple of months have yielded a healthy £100,000.
That figure is down to the ever reliable and improving Ansgar, who made all to win another group race at Doncaster last weekend.
“We are full and long term, I’d love to expand and get some more quality horses in. The horses have been in great from last year and a lot of them have improved throughout the season,” Harty reported.
“We feed them individually and our flat horses get as much feed as the National Hunt horses do. They get plenty of attention as we only have 16 horses in the yard and at that we are full. They go out in the field every day and you get to know them very well.
“I ride them a lot myself and they get to become family and we treat them as if they are our own. We allow them to be horses. They go out in the field and if they don’t play out there, they might get beaten up, so apart from everything else they are happy horses and that is important,” she added.
ANSGAR
6yo (102427-301711)
B g Celtic Swing - Jemmy’s Girl
Ms Chynel Phelan & Shane Fox
He has been great this year. He has gotten over a lot of growing pains this year. He had a splint which came at him at Ascot, but he has been fine since. Seven furlongs on good ground is his trip. We might try and him bring him to Dubai next year and the Foret is the only race left for him this season and the ground could be gone for him in Paris - he really needs the ground no worse than yielding. He has learnt how to race and to settle and he is a huge horse that won snug enough at Doncaster. He only did enough at the weekend and it has taken him a while to settle down and as a youngster, he was very hot. The fact that he has settled down might bring about some more improvement. The fact that he threw a splint at this stage of his life is unusual, but I just hope that all those little niggly things are behind him now as he has done so well for his owners who have been very patient with him and they deserve all the luck that they have got this year.
BONIFACIO
10yo b g NH: (/73484533) F: (4006/7/5/)
Sadler’s Wells - Anaza
Ms Marie Hickey
He is a new horse to us. He is not very big but he jumps fantastic and I’d like to think that he can win a beginners or a novice chase. He came to us in January and he has been running well for us and has been placed twice over fences. The last day we felt that his wind was at him so we got that tidied up and I’d like to think that might bring about a bit of improvement in him. He wouldn’t like extremes of ground and he jumps fantastic. I think he is a half-brother to Ansar who won the Galway Plate. He is the spitting image of him as I used to ride him out as young horse. He is a cracking little horse and I would love to have had him as a younger horse and he has plenty of enthusiasm for the game. Hopefully he’ll go on and win a chase or two as he jumps so well.
BREATHE EASY
4yo ch g F: (0-4113011)
Redback - Inishmac
Mrs Everina Kilfeather
He is a fine big horse that never ran at two. He is very hot and nervous, but he is very tough at the back if it. I think he will keep improving and he ran on Friday at Listowel. He is such a bad traveller and that is why we always run him close to home. A mile and one is his ideal trip and he has done very well for us this year. He is a horse that is open to more improvement and I would hope that he can win a nice race for us before the end of the season. If he could take the travelling a bit better, I think he would be a real good horse but he sweats buckets when we put him in the lorry. He has won four this year and he is very lightly raced so there should be more to come from him next year.
DALASARI
5yo gr g NH: (641/8346-6P) F: (2621400)
Dylan Thomas - Dalataya
Mrs M. Harty
He ran at the weekend and he is lovely dual-purpose horse. He likes an ease in the ground and he is a big strong horse, but is a bit delicate. There are plenty of races to be won with him. He might be a bit high over hurdles but he is big enough to jump a fence. He is bred to be a stallion and we’ll keep him on the go and win what we can with him. He wouldn’t want very soft ground and we might aim him at some of the good handicap hurdles this season.
EDITH SOMERVILLE
4yo b f (26)
Refuse To Bend - Miss Devious
Ms Julie White
She was second on her first start in a bumper and she is a lovely filly. She ran well since and she is still a bit green and weak. She has a great attitude and she jumps really well. I think she could be a lovely filly for next season and she is a fine big type. She is a on a break at the minute, but she is a flat bred filly that has a nice bit of speed and she does stay well. She will be a lovely filly this time next year.
EMPRESS TOORAH
3yo b f (590-0239371152
Holy Roman Emperor - Toorah Laura La
Ms Margaret Nevin
She was coming in and out of season a lot earlier this year but she has gotten good and consistent and she ran very well when second at Listowel during the week. She has won twice for us and she is an improving type. She only started growing during the summer so I think she will be a better filly next year. She is a real athlete and ground seems to be important to her. Earlier we felt that she wanted an ease in the ground but she seems to like good ground. I think there is a lot of improvement in her and she has gotten a lot stronger.
HAVE A NICE DAY
4yo b g F: (0421-441310442)
Oratorio - Centrepiece
T.L. Dempsey
He is just a fantastic little horse - all he does is eat, sleep and race. Only once this year as he finished out of the money in 12 races. He is the happiest little horse and he eats twice as much as a National Hunt horse and yet he is only 15hh. He is so tough and hardy and he has improved with age. He has been running well in premier handicaps. He runs to his mark every day and he was due to run at Listowel on Friday. He is always fresh and is a real yard favourite. He ran a great race in the premier handicap at Galway and the winner has won since. I think there is a big one in him. You rarely get a horse that is that consistent.
KALANN
7yo b NH: (12520/00-00) F: (-36732913)
Barathea - Karkiyla
Kevin McConnell
He is the super star that we always thought he was. He is a monster of a horse and he was always a good horse. He ran in a Champion Hurdle and was placed in two graded hurdles. He has won five and ran a fantastic race when third in the Doncaster Cup last Friday. He got 25lbs for that but he was one of the bargains of the year as he cost only €1,000 as a yearling. He is always bucking and he is always in good form. He never leaves an oat and I hope he gets an invite to Dubai and the Gold Cup over there would be am aim for him. He is very ground dependant and he would like it like flint and he rarely gets that over hurdles anymore as they tend to over water for the likes of him. There is a listed race at the Curragh over two miles but the ground might be gone for him. He was injured when he ran in the Champion Hurdle so he missed a bit of time but he takes his travelling very well.
MOSSY ISLAND
7yo ch g NH: (008-44763)
Moscow Society - Appel Island
Mrs Irene Appelbe
He has been placed a few times for us and he took a long time to settle in his races and he is a big baby still. He has the ability to win a race or two and this is only his first season to race. He is learning all the time and he will make into a better chaser. There is a race or two to be won with him.
NED’S INDIAN
6yo b g NH: (6) F: (631221-43839)
Sleeping Indian - Zanella
Edward Power
He won four for us last year and he has developed into a really good little horse for us. He has been running well in some of the bigger flat handicaps and the plan is that he’ll run away in Dundalk for the winter. He needs really good ground and he tends not to get that over hurdles. If he did get his ground, he would make into a fine dual-purpose horse for next year. He jumps very well and he is not over big, but is very tough and always gives his all. I think he will win his maiden hurdle and I hope there is a nice day in him on the flat before the end of the season. He loves Dundalk and he has a great attitude and is a pleasure to train.
THE CUB
9yo b g NH: (1/044-062F3)
Fourstars Allstar - Ballon Express
Mrs M. Harty
He is a huge horse that has had a few hold ups, but he has won a point-to-point and has been placed over hurdles and fences this season. He is still a big baby and I am not sure if that will ever change. There is a race to be won with him though. He doesn’t like it too soft or quick. He is a super jumper and hopefully he’ll have a day.
TETRAITES
3yo b c F: (03)
Danehill Dancer - Highwater Dancer
Mark T. Gittins
He is a very well-bred horse that I think will make into a very good juvenile hurdler for someone. He is a big strong horse and he was third in a Curragh maiden on ground that was too fast for him. He has a great attitude and he has only had the one run for me and that was at the Curragh. He should win his maiden before the end of the year and we are just waiting for an ease in the ground. I would say that he’ll go to the sales after he wins his maiden and he is one to look forward to.
PETER THE MAYO MAN
4yo ch g
Dylan Thomas - Mommkin
He is a massive unraced horse that came out of the Land Rover Sale. He has had one schooling race and he has a great attitude. He has schooled well but he is a bit off a run yet. He has a flat pedigree so we will try and run him in a bumper early next year. We will take our time with him, but I’d like to think that he could be a nice bumper horse. He does everything right.
UNNAMED
3yo b g Mastercraftsman - Gali Gal
He came out of the Derby Sale and he is another fine big horse. He is a beautifully-made big horse and he was broken at two but was left off because of the size of him. He has a great temperament but he is a good bit off a run yet. In saying that, we are really looking forward to him.
UNNAMED
4yo b g Choisir
He is another huge, big, backward horse and it will be Christmas time before we start him off. He does everything very easy and he has a lovely pedigree. He seems quite well organised already and he is here two months. He is one to look forward to.
UNNAMED
7yo m
She was only broken this summer and comes from a really good family. She is a big filly but she looks a bumper type and has a great attitude. She would be a good bit off a run but despite her age, she should be a nice prospect. She is a beautifully made filly.