ANDY LYNCH
ZABANA
7yo ch g (/0312/314U-141
Halling - Gandia
Chris Jones
Lexus Chase - Wednesday
HE wasn’t really ready for Down Royal and they went a very strong gallop up there. He missed out on a couple of fences as well but he kept going and I knew that run would bring him on.
He did it well the last day at Gowran and Davy was delighted with him and he jumped super. I’d be worried if the ground came up real soft or heavy but he has had a school since Gowran and that went well so he is all set for the Lexus. He is in super form and it’s lovely going there for a race like that with horse like him - it’s exciting for everyone, for Chris (Jones owner) and Laura (McDermott) who rides him out every day.
He can a bit of a boot-boy as he isn’t the easiest to tack up, but there is no badness in him, he is just a good horse and he knows it. It will be a big test for him, but I think he’ll get into shake-up. The one thing that he hates is very soft ground, so with the forecast the way it is I would be worried about that. He is as well as he’s ever been and he’ll keep going, that is for sure, but I think he’ll be an awful lot better in the spring on the better ground. Hopefully we have a lot to look forward to with him.
HENRY DE BROMHEAD
IDENTITY THIEF
6yo b g (/31126-211)
Kayf Tara - Miss Arteea
Gigginstown House Stud
Racing Post Novice Chase - Tuesday
He is in super form and I was delighted with his two wins over fences. It will be a great race against Min, but there are some very good novices around and I don’t see it being a two horse race. He has taken very well to fences. He jumped super when he won his two chases at Punchestown and I suppose this race is the logical next step for him.
He seems to handle any ground - it was very soft when he was beaten by Nicolas Canyon in the Ryanair Hurdle at Leopardstown last year and it was good when he won his novice chase, so I don’t think the ground will be an issue for him. We are looking forward to it.
VALSEUR LIDO
7yo b g (11236/12FU22-1)
Anzillero - Libido Rock
Gigginstown House Stud
Lexus Chase - Wednesday
He was very good when he won at Down Royal and he is in the King George as well, but I’d imagine that he will go for the Lexus.
We didn’t have him that long before he won at Down Royal but he had some very good form last season and I thought he was impressive that day.
He has come out of that race very well and I’ve been very pleased with him since. I don’t the ground will be an issue for him and it’s great to have him.
JOSEPH O’BRIEN
LANDOFHOPEANDGLORY (Left)
3yo b g (111)
High Chaparral - Wurfklinge
J.P. McManus
Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle - St Stephens’ Day
He seems to be in good form and he seems to be progressing with each start over hurdles. He was good the last day at Fairyhouse and I’d say the race wasn’t really run to suit him as he would prefer if they went a bit quicker and I’d say he’ll more than likely go to Leopardstown for the Grade 2 on St Stephen’s Day. It looked a good race the last day and he jumped well and we have been delighted with him since.
He has won on soft ground, but winter heavy ground would be a different story and I am not sure if he’ll handle that, but he is a big powerful horse and I’d like to think that he will handle it, but you won’t really know until they race on it.
IVANOVICH GORBATOV
4yo b g (1412-3334)
Montjeu - Northern Gulch
J.P McManus
Ryanair Hurdle - Thursday
We’ll have a couple of runners each day – I am not sure yet what exactly we’ll run, but hopefully he will run in the two-mile race on the last day. He seems to be in good form and hopefully he’ll pick up a share of the prize money.
EDDIE HARTY
CONEY ISLAND
5yo b g (32151-221)
Flemensfirth - Millys Gesture
J.P McManus
Neville Hotel Novice Chase - Thursday
He won the Drinmore well and he has come out of the race in great form - he is bouncing. He is in the three-mile race and he is a possible for that race.
I wouldn’t commit him anymore to that race and we’ll see what the weather will bring and I don’t think I’d want to be going three miles on bottomless ground at this time of the year with him. He is in good form, but we won’t make a decision on what we’ll do with him until next week.
The great thing about him is that he we know that he’ll get three miles but he doesn’t need three miles. He is not slow and he was very impressive when he won the Drinmore. He has lots of options and he is a lovely horse to have in the yard. He is a proven Grade 1 horse and I am grateful to JP for sending him to me. You want horses like him in the yard and that is what the game is all about.
ROBERT POWER
OUR DUKE
6yo b g (121P3-1)
Oscar - Good Thyne Jenny
Cooper Family Syndicate
Neville Hotel Novice Chase - Thursday
He was very impressive when he won at Navan. He jumped super and he surprised me a bit at Navan as his schooling at home hadn’t been great, but he jumped great at Navan and horses can do that. He has size and scope and he is just a smashing horse. He is in the three-mile Grade 1 at Leopardstown and I’d say he’ll get an entry for the good chase at Limerick. It will be a big test for him the next day, but that run would have brought him on and he is a horse that we have always liked a lot.
SUNNI MAY
5yo b g (2/413-311)
Presenting - Northwood May
Favourites Racing Syndicate
Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle - Tuesday
He won as he liked at Punchestown. He jumped super bar that mistake at the last and he could do no more than he that. He is in the Grade 1 novice hurdle at Leopardstown and I’d imagine that he’ll go here now.
Again this will be a big step up for him, but he was a very good bumper horse last year and his form is there for all to see.
GORDON ELLIOTT
We have a huge amount of horses entered up over the four days at Leopardstown and I’d imagine that we’ll have plenty of runners at Limerick and Down Royal as well and we’ll sort most of them out over the weekend. I suppose we’ll finalise plans for most of them after they work this week. We’ll keep an eye on the weather and we have a few nice juveniles in the Grade 2 on St Stephen’s Day.
BLESS THE WINGS
11yo b g (431422-7682)
Winged Love - Silva Venture
Adrian Butler
CAUSE OF CAUSES
8yo b g (/7518/0051P-5P)
Dynaformer - Angel In My Heart
J.P McManus
CAPTAIN VON TRAPPE
7yo b g (P539P-53FF5)
Germany - Culmore Native
Gigginstown House Stud
KILLER MILLER
7yo b g (33/34/113-9)
Flemensfirth - Miss Brandywell
J.P McManus
NOBLE ENDEAVOUR
7yo b g (125/2312F-P54)
Flemensfirth - Old Moon
Chris Jones
SHADOW CATCHER
8yo ch g)
Haafhd - Unchain My Heart
Mrs P Sloan
UCELLO CONTI
8yo b g (69/1P/6236-74)
Martaline - Gazelle Lulu
Simon Munir & Isaac Souede
Paddy Power Chase - Tuesday
We plan to run as many as we can in the Paddy Power. I am not sure yet about Cause Of Causes, but Ucello Conti ran a cracker in the Becher Chase at Aintree and he has come out of that race in very good form and I’d say he’ll run. The Aintree National is the aim for him all year and if he can pick up a Paddy Power or a Thyestes along the way that’ll be great.
Bless The Wings has been a star for us, he ran some race over the cross country fences the last day at Cheltenham and he’ll run.
Noble Endeavour is in good form and I thought he ran very well for a long way in the Troytown. He should come on for that and he’ll more than likely take his chance. He was upsides Native River when he came down in the four-miler at Cheltenham last year and we know that he stays well. They always go a good gallop in the Paddy Power and that will suit him.
Shadow Catcher has been a great servant and while he might not like real soft ground, he’ll run, as will Killer Miller, and Captain Von Trappe might also run. They will get in, they won’t have much weight and it’s a big pot, so they are entitled to take their chance.
MEGA FORTUNE
3yo b g (F13)
Soldier Of Fortune - Far Across
Chris Jones
Knight Frank Juvenile Hurdle - St Stephens’ Day
He ran a real good race the last day in the Grade 3 at Fairyhouse and we know from his flat form that he handles soft ground so I’d say he’ll run. I am not sure yet about Dinaria Des Obeaux, who won well at Cork, and we also have Duca De Thaix in that as well.
EMPIRE OF DIRT
9yo b g (2F1F/F2P11-1)
Westerner - Rose Of Inchiquin
Gigginstown House Stud
Lexus Chase - Wednesday
We will run a few in the Lexus. Empire Of Dirt is up to 158 now and he was very impressive when he won the Troytown at Navan. He has to go for these types of races now and he will have to improve another 8/10lb again to figure but he could well do so.
Long term, I am hoping that he will develop into an Aintree National horse.
OUTLANDER
8yo b g (3111F2-22F2)
Stowaway - Western Whisper
Gigginstown House Stud
He may run in the Lexus.
He was unlucky to come down at Clonmel when he looked have that race in the bag and he ran a very good race in the John Durkan at Punchestown.
He is in good form since and he is another that will have to improve again but he may well do so for the step up to three miles.
DON POLI
7yo b g (111/51132-3P)
Poliglote - Dalamine
Gigginstown House Stud
Lexus Chase - Wednesday
He won the race last year and the plan is that he’ll run in that. Nothing came to light after what was a very poor run at Down Royal. He has been out hunting and he seems to be in very good form so we’ll just have to see how he gets on. We will take all the head gear off him. The form book says that he is a very good horse and we’ll see how he gets on.
BRELADE
4yo b g (2-4211)
Presenting - Polivalente
D P Sharkey
BLOOD CRAZED TIGER
5yo b g (P/0252-1111)
King’s Theatre - Mardi Roberta
Gigginstown House Stud
Paddy Power Future Champions Novice Hurdle - Tuesday
They could go for the Grade 1 novice hurdle. Brelade is a nice horse and there are no winners’ races for him so he has to go there. We’ll see how he gets on but he looked a good horse when he won his maiden hurdle and he seems to be improving away so he’ll line up.
Blood Crazed Tiger was a bit below par at Cork, but he is better than that and he’ll go there as well.
DIAMOND KING
8yo b g (/7P/4211-415)
King’s Theatre - Georgia On My Mind
Mrs Diana L Whateley
He was a bit disappointing in the Drinmore and he might not be a Grade 1 horse over fences, but in saying that I think he’ll be a much better horse when he races on better ground in the spring.
He remains a good horse, he is entered up all over the place and there is a chance that he could go to Limerick for the good chase down there.
DE PLOTTING SHED
6yo b g (14212-91112)
Beneficial - Lady Willmurt
Ives Ashley Vasey Partnership
Squared Financial Services Hurdle - Wednesday
He has done nothing but improve all year and he will go for the Grade 1 three-mile hurdle. He deserves to take his chance and, like a few of mine, he might just have to improve a few pounds to have a winning chance. He will take his chance and if he manages to pick up a share of the prize money that’ll be great. He has done very well for us this season and I’d like to think there is a good race to be won with him before the end of the season.