THE Pat Fahy trained Morning Assembly made a welcome return to action when runner up at Fairyhouse last Month. The son of Shantou is reported to be in great form and will take his chance in today’s Red Mills Chase.
There is little doubt that he remains a very good horse and one hopes now that his troubles are behind him.
His novice chase form was very decent – he defeated Don Cossack, but he picked up an injury at the 2014 Punchestown Festival, which meant he was side-lined for a considerable period of time, but Fahy is enjoying a fine season and Morning Assembly remains the stable star in a yard that has a nice mix of horses.
“It was great to have him back and he has come out of his run very well and we’ll see how today goes, but all is well with him and hopefully he’ll go on and be able to compete in some nice races for us in the spring. He has been well-minded and he looks great,” Fahy explained.
Fahy also mentioned some young horses that we’ll see at some stage over the next few months and he remarked: “The Green Lady, Aunt Berry and Good To Flow are three nice fillies that will go the bumper route. Their work has been good and I like them and they are not too far off a run.
“I think they’ll be competitive, but like most of mine, they will improve with experience. They have done everything that has been asked of them at home. I also have two unnamed four year fillies by Westerner and Stowaway who I like and they look sharp enough to go the bumper route.
“We have a few for the flat as well and I have two lovely two-year-olds by Casper Nector and Mastercraftsman. They are cantering away and we like them. There is also a nice three-year-old filly by Vale of York who isn’t too far off a run and we’ll get her going on the grass in the spring.
“Ballybacka Queen is back and she looks great. I’d say we might get her covered this year, but the aim is to win a stakes race with her. She went close to doing that last year and she is a lovely mare and I’d love to have a few more like her.”
ANCIENT HIGHWAY
7yo b g (940429-71)
Indian Danehill - Bluespec Anna
Mrs N. Fahy
He got a bit jarred after he ran the last day. As he isn’t a heavy ground horse he has had a good break over the winter and he’ll be back for a bit of decent ground come the end of March. He is a brilliant horse to jump, but we’ll keep him over hurdles for a while yet, but I think in time he’ll make into a very nice handicap chaser. Two and a half miles will be far enough for him.
AUNT NORA
9yo b m (257U1P1)
Kayf Tara - Niat Supreme
Mrs J. Kealy
I have always liked her and I was delighted with her when she won the good mares race at Thurles. Some thought that she was a bit fortunate on the day, but I don’t think she was and she is a relentless stayer and the further she goes the better. I always felt that she would develop into a very good mare over fences. There is a good mares race for her at Limerick next month and that is where she’ll go next. She just lacks a bit of pace so soft ground is important for her. Long-term she could be a mare for something like the Irish National.
BELLE FORTUNE
8yo ch m (78/863)
Shantou - Back To Belle
Exors Of The Late Mrs A. Connolly
She had a lovely first run over hurdles and on the basis of that performance, she should be able to win her maiden hurdle. We’ll keep her going now and it has just taken a while for her to come to hand, but this year she is a different horse. She has very little racing done, but the time that she has got has stood to her and I think she’ll make into a very nice mare. She has a good pedigree and is a dour stayer, so soft ground is a big help to her. I would doubt it very much if she’ll go over fences.
CALL HIM BAWNY
5yo b g (800)
Hurricane Run - Viscoumtess Brave
IRE Recruitment Services
He has just been very babyish. He has had two runs over hurdles, but he has been a very slow learner. He works nicely at home so I’d be hopeful that he’ll be competitive in his own grade when he goes handicapping.
GOOD AS GOLD
8yo gr m (21-446154)
Beneficial – Poppet
Good As Gold Syndicate
She will have a break as she has been on the go for a while and as well as that, there are very few races for her. She is a small mare and I don’t want to run her with a big weight. She can’t jump out of that tacky ground but once it’s soft she is fine. She is improving and she ran a hell of a race in the big handicap hurdle at Leopardstown and that run proved to me that she is still improving. It is important for her that she has a light weight and we might look for a good mares handicap hurdle for her in England. We changed her feed there a while back and she has just thrived since. She is a tough, genuine mare that rarely runs a bad race and I’d say there could be a more to come from her. She is a half-sister to Tara Flow who won a bumper for me before she was sold to Venetia Williams. She has won three over hurdles and she looks very good and so my mare will be a very valuable broodmare down the road. I’d say the way she is going now, that we’ll keep going for another season.
HEAD TURNER
5yo b m NH (65707U) F (0-)
High Chaparral - Special Cause
William Hurley & Mrs Aisling Hurley
She’ll go for another handicap hurdle next week. She has been a little disappointing, but she goes well enough at home to suggest that she can win a handicap in her own grade. She is a smashing looking filly with a good pedigree. Ultimately she might need good ground to be seen at her best, but we’ll see how she gets on next week. She came to me from Martin Cullinane.
JAZZ RANGER
4yo b g (4912)
Bushranger - Dixieland Jazz
M. O’Cullinane
He has improved a good bit over hurdles and he’ll go for a Grade 3 at Fairyhouse and the hope is that he’ll go to Cheltenham for the Fred Winter. He jumps super and I thought he ran a very good race at Gowran as he did do a lot of the donkey work for Footpad who has since won a Grade 1 at Leopardstown. All the jockeys that rode him said that he was always going to be a nice horse and we knew that he’d develop into a nice horse and he will win on the flat too. We’ll see how Fairyhouse goes, but as matters stand, I’d be hopeful that he can go to Cheltenham. He is a tough, hardy horse that is improving all the time. He has a mark over hurdles and if for whatever reason he misses Fairyhouse, he will probably run in a handicap somewhere before he travels, but he is a good horse which is going the right way.
LORD WICKHAM
5yo b g (0)
Kris Kin - Nightlynx
Richard Mulcahy
He is the nicest young horse that we have at home, but sadly he picked up an injury when he ran last year at Galway. He works like a very good horse and we’ve just had to be patient with him. He is back fine again now, but he is a good bit off a run yet. I’d imagine that he will go for a bumper hopefully in the spring. He has a great pedigree and his owners have been great in that they have given him all the time that he needed. He is a very smart horse.
MICRAS
5yo b m NH (774140) F (5126/58-)
Medicean - Purple Heather
George Moore
She is a good mare. She ran on the flat this year at Navan and Fran Berry got off her and told us not to be disappointed with her and she needs a trip. She can’t handle this tacky ground, but she won well for us at Clonmel. She has been left off for a month and we’ll have her back for the spring. She needs a trip and I’d like to think that she will win on the flat over a mile and a half plus. There is more to come from her.
MILANO EXPRESS
8yo b m (6490-058)
Milan - Markir
Mrs N. Fahy
We just want to get a bracket into her and then we’ll get her covered. She isn’t a bad mare and she has a lovely page.
MOONLIGHT ART
4yo gr f NH (8) F (086-)
Excellent Art – Trishay
James Coen
She is on the way back and we’ll up in trip and see how she gets own. She will have a day – it might take time as she is still a bit weak. She wouldn’t handle fast ground but anything else should be fine for her.
MOUNT GUNNERY
8yo b g (74/912-23)
Kayf Tara - Bobs Bay
Clipper Logistics Group Ltd
He got injured nearly two years ago. He had a lovely first run back at Gowran where he chased home what looked a good horse of Willie’s. I shouldn’t have brought him to Down Royal, but he is a good horse and he should have no trouble winning his beginners chase. I think he could be above average and I think he’ll be able to compete at a high level over two miles. I might stretch him out to two/two, but we think a good bit of him and he has come out of Down Royal in very good form. He holds an entry in the JLT at Cheltenham.
MORNING ASSEMBLY
9yo b g (1123/3-2)
Shantou - Barrack Village
Clipper Logistics Group Ltd
I was thrilled with his comeback run at Fairyhouse. He is back with me since the start of December but he had plenty done before he came to me and he looked super. We never put him under any pressure before Fairyhouse and he ran right to the line. He’ll go to Gowran on Saturday for the Red Mills and he has loads of options. He is in the Gold Cup and the Ryanair and he’ll also get entries in the handicaps over here. But we’ll get Saturday out of the way first. He also holds an entry in the Aintree National. He has come out of Fairyhouse in great shape and he recovered very quickly from that run. He is just a very good horse and it is great to have him back. He has only run 12 times in his life and he is of an age where he should be at his peak. He got very badly jarred up after Punchestown a couple of years ago, but it is just great to have him back. Hopefully he’ll get a clear run now and I couldn’t be happier with the horse. Morning Assembly runs at Gowran today.
SHANTOU ED
7yo ch g (02109-07U85)
Shantou - Fair Maid Marion
John P. McManus
He jumps well and he likes ease in the ground. Hopefully he will pay his way over fences.
SOFT SEVENTEEN
6yo b m (00-)
Millenary - Over The Pond
Vegas Racing Syndicate
She is a nice mare that has run twice in bumpers. I thought that she’d have run a bit better on her debut at Fairyhouse, but she just can’t handle soft ground. She’ll be ready to run in a bumper when the ground dries out and I think that she’ll pay her way well on nice ground. I’d imagine that she will be kept on the go for the summer.
SUPREME STEEL
5yo br g (4734)
Craigsteel - Tubber Gael Holly
Mrs Sonya Murphy
Fourth at Thurles on Thursday, he does stay well and he likes an ease in the ground. I think he’ll make into a very nice horse over hurdles and he needs a trip to be seen at his best. I’d imagine that he will remain in bumpers for the remainder of this season, but he does jump very well and he will come into his own over two and a half miles plus - over hurdles and fences.
TEN TIMES BETTER
6yo ch m (21164)
Beneficial – Allaboveboard
George Moore
She couldn’t handle the ground the last day and we have given her a break. There is a chance that we will bring her to England for a mares race somewhere. She can’t jump out of this ground, but she has won a bumper and a maiden hurdle and there should be more to come from her on better ground.
THELOBSTERCATCHER
12yo gr g (02P23-P250P46)
Silver Patriarch - Everything’s Rosy
George Moore
He is a dour stayer and he’ll go for a veteran’s race at Navan. The bigger the fences and the further he goes the better, but he couldn’t handle the desperate tacky ground at Fairyhouse and you know that once he starts to make mistakes that you are in trouble. But I’d put that down to the ground. He has been a great servant and he he is twelve now, I think there is another race or two in him yet. There is another option for him at Naas and once the ground is very testing, but loose that is what he wants.
TONGIE
6yo b g (252-21535)
Beneficial - Montagues Lady
T.G. Coleman & Mrs Christine Coleman
He’ll run on Saturday and he is a chaser in the making. He has been running well over hurdles, but chasing will be his game. He needs a bit of time between his races, but I think he’ll run well on Saturday and he will run away in handicap hurdles until the season is over. He has been schooled over fences and he jumps super. Hopefully he will win a handicap over hurdles before we send him chasing. Tongie runs at Gowran today.
TRUST NO ONE
7yo b g (667459)
Old Vic - Sarah’s Delight
Mrs N. Fahy
He isn’t a bad horse, but he just spends too long in the air. If he can be a bit slicker over his fences, I think there is a day or two in him. He likes a bit of decent ground and he has a nice mark if he could just jump a bit slicker.
WESTERN BOY
7yo b g (F230-09P)
Antonius Pius – Skala
John P. McManus
He did nothing but improve on the flat last season and he has developed into a real good horse. He won at the Curragh and he was placed in some very good races on the flat. He’ll be back there in the spring and I’d imagine he will mix it for the summer. I’d love to win a good race on the flat with him.
FACTFILE
Name: Pat Fahy
Address: Ellen Lodge Racing Stables, Rathellen, Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow
Telephone: 086 8182414
Jockeys: The best available.