Castlebrook

7yo b g (/23/24/133-)

Oscar - Monty’s Sister

Ann & Alan Potts Limited

He is back going well at the minute and his big aim will be the Thyestes Chase. It was unfortunate that we had to give him time off earlier this year. The tendon slipped off his hock and the vets in Fethard did a great job and the one thing that has really stood to him was rest.

I was speaking to Noel Meade about it and the early indications with him are good and he is cantering away here, and all seems good. He is back in about a month and I need him badly. He is a huge horse and that could be the problem as he is just so big but I’m delighted with him and it’s great to have him back and all is good with him at the minute.

The plan would be to start him back around Christmas time and I’d love to have a go at the Thyestes with him and the plan had been to run in the race this year. He loves very deep, heavy ground and you are nearly guaranteed that at Gowran in January.

Captain CJ

9yo b g (/241/223F21-)

Westerner - She’s So Dainty

Mrs Fidelma Toole

He was very good for us last season and he won the Ten Up at Navan and the aim this season will be the Irish National. Long term, you’d love to think that he might be a horse for Aintree and the further he goes the better and he is three-mile-plus horse.

He hasn’t a lot of racing done so you’d hope that he is open to more improvement and assuming we have a normal season, we’ll look at the Troytown at Navan. He is back in about two months and if I had a race for him, we could start him back in six weeks’ time but we don’t know the programme is yet, so we’ll see what is there for him, but the Troytown would be a suitable target for him this side of Christmas.

All is good with him and the intention last season would have been to go for the Irish National last season so again, assuming we have what looks like a normal season, everything will revolve around the Irish National for him.

Novices have a very good record in the race, and I think he has a nice enough mark.

We’ll just have to see what races are there for him around October/November time. He has won on soft/heavy ground but he doesn’t need deep ground – he is adaptable that way. He has kept the best of company last season and he has never let us down and it’s great to have one like him.