Kinturk Nelson

(Tom Gibney)

Fairyhouse, December 13th

Strong market support that came for Fierce Handay in a two-mile novice handicap hurdle at Fairyhouse proved extremely well placed when the J.P. McManus-owned/Noel Meade-trained five-year-old bolted in under Mark Walsh. The margin of victory might only have been three and three-quarters of a length, but he won far more comprehensively than that as 11/10 favourite - hence the 11lb rise to 120. His presence at the head of affairs, and consistent yard-stick Kentucky Beach in second, means this was probably a useful piece of form for the grade, and there was definitely a glimmer of promise 16 lengths back in third from Tom Gibney’s Kinturk Nelson. Making his handicap debut here, he was ridden handier than when seventh in a maiden hurdle on his previous outing, and he kept on well without being able to match the front two.

He was racing in handicap company with a top-end rating band of 110, but he ought to be even more at home when switching down to 0-100 company, and the handicapper dropped him 2lb to 92 for this run, likely due to the margin of defeat (even if he beat the vast majority of this 18-runner field). This was only Kinturk Nelson’s fifth career start, so he’s very lightly raced and open to natural improvement, and there’s certainly encouragement to be taken from his pedigree; he’s a half-brother to the same stable’s smart staying chaser Kinturk Kalanisi.

Gino Bella

(Pat Foley)

Fairyhouse, December 13th

Another of the handicap hurdles at Fairyhouse last Saturday was dominated by a well-handicapped winner, Cowper Hall in the two-and-a-half-mile event for horses rated below 100. There were two divisions of this race, and the first, won by Gavin Cromwell’s 13/8 favourite, was by far the quicker - run in a time of 5m 27.1 secs (compared to the second division’s 5m 36.7 secs). The average finishing speed percentages in the first division were considerably down on the second division, and the patient ride received by the winner appeared a massive help, given how the race unfolded with a seemingly strong pace.

Gino Bella travelled nicely into the contest and, in the circumstances, probably arrived on the scene earlier than ideal as the race fell away around her.

After moving up stylishly, she ended up there to be shot at, to a certain extent, and finished 13 lengths adrift of the ready winner in second. It was still a sound and creditable effort in defeat, and she made her challenge sweetly enough to suggest that a shorter trip might even be interesting for her at some point. She finished two and three-quarter lengths ahead of the third, with a further 21 lengths back to the fourth, so she’d have been a decent winner of this event but for Cowper Hall’s presence.

A 13lb rise to 109 for the winner tells you he’s better than this grade, so Gino Bella can go down as a shade unlucky to bump into one. An unchanged mark of 96 is one that this unexposed five-year-old can collect off in the right circumstances.

Hey Now

(Andrew McNamara)

Naas, December 15th

A glance at the result without watching the race would do the debut effort of Hey Now a disservice from Naas’ auction bumper on Monday. Andrew McNamara’s four-year-old newcomer ran better than finishing outside the frame in fourth suggests, and he’s got the ability to provide the trainer with a winner for J.P. McManus in due course.

It was interesting beforehand to note the market confidence behind the Yorgunnabelucky debutant, (who was backed into an SP of 10/1 from as big as 33/1 in the ring).

He came from a good deal further back than the winner to throw down a smart challenge in the straight, clocking the highest top speed of any horse in the 15-horse field at 35.05mph (as per Race iQ).

However, another point for marking up this run is how he came through on the far side rail, virtually on his own, and he was only seventh quickest through the final furlong. Perhaps that was tiredness, but it may have been a case of others at an advantage on fresher ground further out, late on.

Regardless, this four-year-old looks a useful prospect, he was only beaten four and three-quarter lengths and everything that finished in the first five had either run in at least a point-to-point, bumper or maiden hurdle previously. This was Hey Now’s debut under any code. He looks well bought at €12,000 from last year’s Tattersalls Ireland Derby Sale.