DERMOT MCLOUGHLIN
CANARDIER (FR)
7yo b g (1/35-12331)
Crillon - Idylle Du Marais
Slattery Bloodstock Ltd
The plan had been to bring him to Wetherby this week, but that’s gone now with the weather and I had a look at maybe bringing him to Musselburgh on Sunday, but at the minute, I’d say it’s more likely that he’ll go straight to Cheltenham. We brought him over there last October to see how he’d take to the travelling and the track and it went great.
He won well that day and the fact that he handled the track so well was a plus. He is in the novice races over there, but I’d say he’ll more than likely go for the Martin Pipe. He does need good ground and if it came up very soft, there is a chance that he won’t go at all. There was nothing for him at Leopardstown last weekend, but I’d say it is more than likely that he’ll go straight to Cheltenham now.
SANTA ROSSA (IRE)
5yo b m (11)
Jeremy - Panther Moon
Mrs P.J. Conway
She was very good at Leopardstown and it was great to see her win a graded bumper on just her second start and she has come out of that race in great form. Finny (Maguire) said the ground was as quick as she’d like it on Sunday, so we’ll be careful with her. I haven’t spoken to her owner about future plans for her yet, but I’d imagine that she’ll get an entry in Cheltenham and there is also the mares’ bumper at Aintree. She’ll have the mares’ allowance (7lbs) at Cheltenham and Willie’s mare (Relegate) won the race on Sunday before winning at Cheltenham so it can be done. She is just a lovely filly to have anything to do with.
We have 25 in and it’s great for a small yard like ours to have one like her. She is one for the future.
PAUL NOLAN
Discorama's target at Cheltenham is not yet decided Photo.carolinenorris.ie
DISCORAMA (FR)
6yo b g (2/123725-15F)
Saddler Maker - Quentala
Thomas Friel & Andrew Gemmell
He had that heavy fall at Naas, but luckily enough, there wasn’t a bother on him. He is in the JLT and the National Hunt Chase and the novice handicap chase. He has gone to 145 so he will have top weight in the handicap if he goes for that. Bryan (Cooper) said that the race was in the balance when he fell and to me it wasn’t over, but he was fine after the fall and hopefully that won’t affect him the next day.
He handles heavy ground and he hasn’t had his ground yet and the ground was just good ground the last day at Naas so I’d imagine whatever they get in Cheltenham, it should be fine for him. The trip was too short for him in the Drinmore, but that run wasn’t as bad as it looked and Bryan was sympathetic on him when his chance was gone that day.
He confirmed that when he stepped up to three miles the last day at Naas on the dead ground, but I just think that he’ll travel a bit easier on softer ground. He’ll go to Cheltenham and we’ll decide a bit closer to the time as to what race he’ll go for.
LATEST EXHIBITION (IRE)
6yo b g (21)
Oscar - Aura About You
James F. Mernagh
All going well, he’ll go for the bumper at Cheltenham. He won’t be going over hurdles and he may as well run over there than run in a winners’ bumper in Ireland so he’ll give Jim (Mernagh) a trip to Cheltenham. I thought he won well at Naas and I think he’ll come on a good bit for that. He was green and he hasn’t galloped on grass that often.
He won going away and I thought the ground may have been a bit quick for him. But he is a very laid back character. His mother was the same and she won her maiden hurdle at 40/1 and she went on and won a listed chase. He has a bit of age about him (he’s six) and he wouldn’t show you much at home, but that is just him. He’s won over two miles and three and I don’t think the drop back to two miles will be an issue for him.
Quamino is being aimed at the Brown Advisory Plate at Cheltenham
Photo.carolinenorris.ie
QUAMINO (GER)
6yo ch g (007012-2613U21)
Lord Of England - Quintana
Manverton Limited
He was very good at Leopardstown and the likelihood is that he’ll go to Cheltenham for the Brown Advisory Plate, the race that The Storyteller won last year. He went up to 138 for winning the other day but that won’t be enough for him to make the cut for the novice handicap chase, so that is the plan for him. It was great for his owner, Jim Coffey, as it was his biggest success to date and he’s a great man as he also sponsors the yard. It was some pot to win, €52,000, it was like winning a Grade 1.
Bryan gave the horse a brilliant ride and the race panned out well for them as Bryan loves to take his time and they went hard and he timed it to perfection. The horse has been super since and he bounced out of the race and he does like that good ground. He wears a tongue tie and that helps him and I think the fast pace they go over at Cheltenham will suit him. He has a nice bit of experience going there now and that will hopefully stand to him.
ENDA BOLGER
STAND UP AND FIGHT (IRE)
7yo b g (2/1342/P4P-112)
Flemensfirth - Aylesbury Park
John P. McManus
He is very much a work in progress and he won well at Down Royal. He was been beaten since by a hardened horse the last day (Fenno’s Storm) and I just feel that he’ll be better horse this time next year. Fenno’s Storm won the Tetratema last year at Gowran Park and he’s a very good horse, but our lad was good when he won at Christmas time and the plan remains The Foxhunter at Cheltenham.
He likes a bit of nice ground so hopefully he’ll be back then for Punchestown. He’s only seven and I’d say whatever he does this year will stand to him and he’ll be better horse next year.
AUVERGNAT (FR)
9yo b g (/12B3F141-3001)
Della Francesca - Hesmeralda
John P. McManus
JOSIES ORDERS (IRE)
11yo b g (/0/623026P21-013)
Milan - Silent Orders
John P. McManus
They will both go for the Cross Country Chase at Cheltenham and Josies Orders will run at the weekend at Punchestown (P.P. Hogan Memorial Cross Country Chase). They have plenty of experience around there and they know the place well. Auvergnat was good at Leopardstown at Christmas and he did surprise us that he won. We went into the race saying that there was around €8,000 for fifth and we would have been happy with that, but he jumped great and he just tanked in the blinkers. I am not sure that it was the greatest race in the world as the runner-up (Vieux Morvan) was well beaten at the weekend, but it was some pot to win and we were thrilled with him.
Josies is in good shape for the weekend.
They seem to appreciate a bit of nice ground which is what you’d normally get at Cheltenham now.
PHILIP DEMPSEY
DERRINROSS (IRE)
8yo b g (1/23/422-11)
Scorpion - Cybele Eria
Mrs M. Furlong/Ex D. J. Dempsey/J. P. Dempsey
We took him out of Leopardstown at the weekend as the ground was just too quick for him, so the plan is that he’ll go straight to Cheltenham for the Albert Bartlett. He won’t go to Clonmel next week and there are limited options for him. We’ve had a great run with him this season and as a young horse, he had just had plenty of niggly little problems and he was just a hard horse to keep sound.
But this year, he has been great and the form of the race that he won at Cork has worked out well and Mouse (Morris) likes his horse (Sams Profile). We had thought about going chasing with him, but the race in Cork was there and he loves heavy ground and he has been mixing with the best of them last season when he never really right, so it was great the way it worked out. You’d be concerned if the ground was quick over at Cheltenham but it was soft over there the last day and it was soft enough over there last year, so at this stage, I’d say it’s almost certain that he’ll go there.