Warren Greatrex
La Bague Au Roi
9yo b m Doctor Dino - Alliance Royale
Mrs Julien Turner & Andrew Merriam
FORM: 11112-P33
Target: Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup
I couldn’t have been happier with how she has come out of Doncaster. I was happy with the run and in hindsight I suppose, we should have made more use of her over two and a half – three miles is her trip nowadays. She has come out of the race great and she has yet to run over three miles this season. She is in great form and I was always thinking of going for this race. She handles the track and I see they have been watering over there and the forecast is not predicting too much rain and the better the ground, the better she’ll run. She is in the Gold Cup and The Ryanair at Cheltenham, but I have always felt that Aintree is her track, but there is only one Gold Cup.
La Bague Au Roi will bid for back-to-back Grade 1 wins at the Dublin Racing Festival, this time in the Irish Gold Cup\carolinenorris.ie
Paul Nolan
Latest Exhibition
7yo b g Oscar - Aura About You
Teberona Partership
FORM: 21-121
Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle
He’s done well for us and he’s been in very good form, but we are under no illusions, he faces a massive test at the weekend. He displayed a very good attitude when he won at Navan and that form has worked out well with Andy Dufresne winning since at Punchestown. I think he’ll appreciate the step up to another couple of furlongs and the stiffer the test, the better for him. The ground should be fine for him and we are looking forward to it. This race fits in well for him and he had an easy few days after he won at Navan, but his work since has been good and I’m very happy with him. On paper, it looks a very good race and hopefully things will go right for him and that he’ll run a very good race.
Gavin Cromwell
Darver Star
8yo b g Kalanisi - Maggies Oscar
SSP Number Twentytwo Syndicate
FORM: 16-11113
PCI Irish Champion Hurdle
He’ll take his chance in the Champion Hurdle where the likely strong gallop will suit him. He hasn’t stopped improving all season. We are under no illusions, he faces a huge task, but the race might cut up which will help and if that turned out to be the case, he has a chance of getting some prize money. He is in the Champion Hurdle at Cheltenham and he will get entries in the handicaps as well, so Saturday will help us determine which route he’ll go. It’s great for the lads who own him to have a horse running in a Champion Hurdle. It’s funny to think that he was placed in a maiden hurdle last March, but he has just kept on improving.
Lever Du Soleil
5yo b g Le Havre - Morning Dust
Sunrise Partnership
FORM: 227-2542
Ladbrokes Handicap Hurdle
He has been a very consistent and he always runs a good race. The handicapper probably has a good hold of him over hurdles, but it’s a valuable race and he has a nice light weight on his back, so he’ll take his chance. He’s in very good form and he’ll go back over fences soon enough, as he is novice over them for the summer. He’ll win more races and hopefully he’ll run a good race for us at the weekend.
Jeremys Flame
6yo b m Jeremy - Supreme Beneficial
Flushfarm Racing Syndicate
FORM: -914222
Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle
She was second in a Grade 1 (Tolworth Hurdle) the last day and she has a high enough mark but it’s a big pot and she has been in great form and she is dropping back into handicap company now. It looks a very competitive race, but she is in great nick and I’d imagine that there will loads of pace on in the race, and that will suit.
Duchess Ravenwaves
6yo br m Harbour Watch - Neila
Peter Michael
FORM: 4470-612
Paddy Mullins Mares Handicap Hurdle
Duchess Ravenwaves is likewise in very good nick. It’s a valuable race and she gets in with a very light weight on her back. She has to improve, but if she can, she has an each way chance. Her work at home has been good and I’ve been very happy with her.
Wolf Prince
4yo b g Pour Moi - Preach
Patrick Sheanon
FORM: 3121
Tattersalls Ireland Spring Juvenile Hurdle
He has done very well for us over hurdles, but assuming Aspire Tower performs the way he did at Christmas time, he will be very hard to beat. Outside of Aspire Tower, our horse comes out best on official ratings and I suppose you should never be afraid of one horse. The plan at the minute is the Fred Winter and he’ll have no issues with the ground.
Peaches And Cream
5yo b g Salutino - Muffles Girl
Ms Kiva O’Brien
FORM: 14F8415
William Fry Handicap Hurdle
He’s in good shape and he won well at the track at Christmas time. I don’t think he is that well handicapped but I think the step up to three miles will suit him and off a light weight, you’d be hoping for a good run from him.
John McConnell
Never Do Nothing
4yo b g Casamento - Purple Tigress
Ms Caroline Ahearn
FORM: 3321323
Tattersalls Ireland Spring Juvenile Hurdle
He was impressive when he won at Musselburgh and it’s not easy to win first time out over hurdles and he had to do it the hard way over there as he made his own running as well. He likes it soft so as long as the ground is yielding or worse he’ll run. It will be a big step up for him but he was bought to go hurdling. It just takes him a while to hit top gear and a track like Musselburgh wouldn’t have been ideal for him. He is a relentless galloper that quickens at the end of his races and he was doing all his best work at the finish the last day. We’ve been very happy with him since and he’s a horse with a bright future. I am sure that he’ll give a very good account of himself.
Paul Townend
Chacun Pour Soi
8yo b g Policy Maker - Kruscyna
Mrs S Ricci
FORM: 1253/1-12
Ladbrokes Dublin Chase
He has been well since he ran the last day and I expect him to come on a lot for his run at Christmas time. In hindsight, you’d be a bit disappointed that he was beaten, but there were positives to be taken out of it. He jumped very well and he travelled like a dream until he got tired in the straight and that was just his third run over fences and his first in open company as well. He gained more experience and you can see that a lot of ours are improving a lot for their first runs this season so any bit of improvement at the weekend will see him bang there, hopefully.
Chacun Pour Soi will take on A Plus Tard in the Dublin Chase \carolinenorris.ie
Kemboy
8yo b g Voix Du Nord - Vitora
Kemboy/Brett Graham/Ken Sharp Syndicate
FORM: 11U1-14
Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup
I thought he ran a solid race at Leopardstown and like Chacun Pour Soi, you’d be hoping fitness wise, that run will bring him on. It was my first time to ride him since 2018 and he gave me a great feel and I have no doubt that he will improve. He did everything right and showed plenty of spark. A lot of ours are improving for their first runs so hopefully he will do so as well. It was a good race at Christmas time and Sunday’s race looks a very good renewal.
Kemboy is expected to come on from his seasonal debut in the Savills Chase \Healy Racing
Davy Russell
Presenting Percy
9yo b g Sir Percy - Hunca Munca
FORM: 1121/18-35
Paddy Power Irish Gold Cup
He’s been a very good horse for me and he’s built up a very big following. I was happy with the way he ran at Leopardstown and it was a quick turnaround that day as it was just over two weeks since he ran very well in the John Durkan. You’d be hoping that he will improve again and I thought from the back of the last to the line at Christmas time that he’d just stay on a bit better than he did.
He will need to improve again and Sunday’s race will be very competitive.
Ground wise he is versatile and the ground at the weekend will be fine for him. It was a very stop/start kind of race at Christmas time so hopefully they will go a good gallop this time.
He had a hold up last year and he never got a clear run, but he retains all of his ability, so hopefully with the time off that he had last year, all those things will stand to him and he’ll go to Leopardstown and be competitive.