KARL Thornton has done a fine job with a relatively small string of his horses at his base just outside Skerries and it was Colms Dream who really got him going last season.
The son of Beneficial, who won six last season, is being aimed at the valuable Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown and he is one of a number of useful prospects that should represent him well this season.
Wakea galloped his rivals into the ground last Saturday when he ran out a convincing winner of a valuable handicap hurdle at Down Royal and he could take in the For Auction Novice Hurdle at Navan on Sunday en route to better things.
BEARLY LEGAL
9yo b g (195-739)
Court Cave - Fair Size
Sean Thornton
He was fine after he ran at Cork on Sunday. It may have come a bit soon after he ran at Aintree and we were just looking for a bit of nice ground to get him started before Cork. He will tip away and we might try him back over hurdles, but he is qualified for those veteran races in England and I’d say he will almost certainly go back for a couple of them.
He ran very well in the Irish National last season and he’ll have another go at that race again next year, but I’d say he’ll have to go up another 7/8 lbs to get in.
He’ll have an entry in the Troytown and the Paddy Power and he will also get an entry for the opportunity chase at Leopardstown at Christmas.
DUKE CASS
4yo b g (329-021270)
Duke Of Marmalade - Golden Mask
B Parker
He won on heavy ground at Sligo and he loves it soft or heavy. He is around three weeks off a run. I’d say he’ll go over fences sooner rather than later. . The ground is the key to him – he just handles that heavy ground well and I think he’ll win over two miles but he will get further. I pulled the plug on him earlier this year as he was growing, and he has since developed into a fine, big horse and he probably won’t grow into himself until next year.
COLMS DREAM
7yo ch g (111FF11-2)
Beneficial - African Waters
Colm’s Dream Syndicate
We gave him a good break this year and he’ll more than likely go straight for the Paddy Power, but he wouldn’t want extremes of ground. With Irish Cavalier winning the Charlie Hall (Colms Dream was second to him at the Punchestown Festival) that form looks rock solid now. My horse seems to have improved and he has strengthened up a lot over the summer. We might start him back in a handicap hurdle, but the plan is the Paddy Power at Christmas and I just hope that the ground isn’t too soft for him.
HATCH HALL
5yo b g (19-26000)
Sleeping Indian – Speech
Gary Ryan
Things weren’t going right for him and rather than persevere with him, we have pulled the plug. We’ll have him back for the spring. Off his mark, I think there is a good day in him and the break will do him good. He just needs a bit of good ground and unfortunately the handicapper hasn’t given him much leeway. He works like a good flat horse and we’ll get him going in the spring.
MANUKA
7yo ch g F(-7357) NH(-1623280)
Galileo - Honey Gold
David O’Rourke
He is on his holidays but, with the ground the way it has been, I suppose I should have kept him on the go for a bit longer. We will get him back going on the all-weather next April. He jumps a fence well and he will go chasing next summer.
PAPER LANTERN
7yo b g (/843248-656)
Oscar - Lantern Lark
Acorn Syndicate
He jumps a fence well and he should pay his way in his own grade in handicaps. He has been placed in maiden hurdles. He will do a bit of both and there should be a day in him over hurdles and/or fences. He might be able to win a country maiden over hurdles.
ROUND TOWER
7yo b g (-F722123423)
Presenting - Cash Customer
James Francis Brennan
He is ground dependent and he is a better chaser than a hurdler. He has run some nice races over fences and chasing seems to be his game. He has been on the go for a while, so we’ll give him a break now. We’ll get him back in the spring and ideally I’d like to keep him as a novice over fences until April and that way he can run in novice chases up to October of next year. He is a much better horse on nice ground.
WAKEA
5yo b g F(/12148840-30) NH(2d11)
Cape Cross – Imiloa
Gary Ryan
He is in the For Auction at Navan on Sunday. He got 18lbs for winning at Down Royal last Saturday, so we’ll probably have to step him up to graded company now but, he is still very inexperienced. I might bring him to England for a little novice hurdle somewhere if he does not run at Navan.
He is a huge horse – 17.1hh - who we picked up at the sales for £16,500 in February and he looks well-bought now. I’d love to get a bit more experience into him and soft ground is an unknown. He has won on the all-weather and the ground was nice at the weekend. If he doesn’t handle softer ground, it is not the end of the world. He is rated 143 now and he’d have to be rated that to get into the Supreme at Cheltenham. He was placed in a Group 3 on the flat and once he took to this game, he was always going to be a good horse. He can hit one, but he seems to love jumping. On his work at home, I think there is a good day in him on the flat. He was slow away in the November Handicap and he could never get competitive after that. He is a very exciting horse and he has a very high rating now and I just hope that Noel O’Brien is right.