JACK STEEL

4yo b g (41)

Craigsteel - Wake Me Gently

(Be My Native)

Martin Hassett

The first four-year-old maiden winner of the year at Castletown-Geoghegan. Declan Queally was top notch from the front and he was always in control in a maiden which has had form emerge from it, including subsequent maiden and bumper winner Gingili back in fourth. He is from the family of Gaye Brief, Gaye Chance and Artistic Prince and looks well capable of a smart career on the track. He did in fact complete an extra lap of the track before Queally managed to pull him up which can only be a positive, and should well be able to drop back in trip when racing under rules and be effective. His full-brother Ample Appeal was rated 109 at best for Philip Rothwell and won a Limerick maiden hurdle in 2012. Sold to Tom Malone and Lucinda Russell for £33,000.

FACT OF THE MATTER

4yo b g (F1)

Brian Boru - Womanofthemountain

(Presenting)

P.M.J. Doyle

An impressive winner of the four-year-old maiden at Loughrea. He had shown plenty of promise on his debut at Fairyhouse in late May last season before falling two out when appearing to be very much in contention. At Loughrea he showed his worth and powered clear at the second last and completely outclassed his rivals. He covers an exceptional amount of ground and there is every reason to believe that when he moves to the bigger tracks he will have a lot more to offer. He is from the family of Corymandel, Frascati Park and Kings Glen. His race was run in a time 10 seconds faster than the average on the day which also deserves respect. He has been sold to Tom Malone and Jamie Snowden for £42,000.

LOVELY JOB

4yo ch g (51)

Touch Of Land - Wyckoff Queen

(Carefree Dancer)

Donnchadh Doyle

A first winner in points for his sire Touch Of Land and an impressive one at that. In his Loughbrickland maiden they appeared to go a decent pace throughout but once Barry O’Neill asked for this fellow to go to the front he went on readily and won in good style. He had run with promise behind the well regarded Stone Hard at Oldtown on his debut last season but clearly matured notably over the summer to lift his performance to this level. While clearly a sound stayer, what gives most encouragement about this performance was the turn of foot he showed going to the last. His half-sister won a handicap hurdle at Downpatrick off 78 and he is from the family of The Ellier, Tell The Nipper, Love And Porter and Godsmejudge. His stamina therefore seems assured so that injection of speed he showed could be most interesting. He was sold to Donald McCain for £30,000.

CROSSHUE BOY

4yo b g (1)

Brian Boru - Gluais Linn

(Supreme Leader)

Donnchadh Doyle

A winner of his only outing at Tattersalls ensures this fellow is impossible to fault. It was a small field and he ran a little green but picked up steadily towards the line and seemed to be going away when passing the judge. He is out of a half-sister to Yellow Spring who was a very effective middle distance chaser for Dai Grissell and he is also from the family of High Peak, Carraignavar and Rocking Ship. He seems a decent solid sort who can go on and win plenty of races on the track. He is clearly well regarded by connections as he was lead out unsold at £48,000 last week at Brightwells.

WASHINGTON LADY

4yo b m (1)

Beneficial - Ashdale Lark

(Subtle Power)

Donnchadh Doyle

This mare won the first four-year-old mares’ maiden of the season and so set the bar very high. There was no early pace over the first two fences but the race picked up and the closing stages were run in a very fast time. Regardless of how the pace increased this mare was always in control and picked up readily to score. She showed a great attitude for a mare which will stand to her. Her dam is a half-sister to Washington Lad and is from the family of Dempsey and Lastoftheleaders. She was withdrawn from sale last week but if turning up in a bumper in the coming weeks she should not be missed as she could well be a top notch mare contesting the bigger pots.

MR MOUNTAIN

4yo b g (11)

Mountain High - Not Mine

(Oscar)

Donnchadh Doyle

This fellow has a very different CV to all of the others listed here in so far as he won his maiden at Kinsale back in June. He was extremely impressive in doing so and he returned to action for autumn pointing and on his only start in winners’ company he picked up a winners’ race.

Serious Times, who is a half-brother to Gaspar, made all to win a Castletown maiden and set off to do the same at Loughanmore. Mr Mountain, however, was always within his comfort zone and travelled easily throughout. Although he looked a little green at stages, he picked up to challenge at the last and had to show a good attitude to overcome Serious Times who was battling all the way to the line. Not since 2007 has a four-year-old beaten older horses in a winners’ race in the same year as winning his maiden. He is from the family of Another Excuse, Davids Lad, Astral River and Storm Survivor and was sold to G H Bloodstock for £60,000. He has the makings of a top notch staying chaser.

SHANTOU VILLAGE

4yo b g (1)

Shantou - Village Queen

(King’s Theatre)

D.P. Murphy

Another youngster on the list with a perfect record having won his only start when scoring at Loughanmore. There have been small runners in a few maidens this season but this contest actually had some very reliable form lines going into it and the placed horses had previous experience and placed form this season which would have represented a notable advantage over this debutante. Nonetheless he went to the front two out with ease and when the others came to challenge at the last it appeared as though he had been idling as he picked up readily and galloped relentlessly to the line. Visually this was the most impressive four-year-old maiden winner of the season so far and the formbook would not contradict that theory. Being by Shantou out of a King’s Theatre mare ensures he has an impeccable pedigree and his dam is a half-sister to In The Forge but has a lot of speed in his pedigree which could allow him to have the class to go to the top. He was bought by Neil Mulholland for €80,000 recently.

BLACK SAM THE MAN

4yo b g (2PF1)

Black Sam Bellamy - Sonda

(Dolphin Street)

Sean Doyle

This fellow showed notable improvement in winning a four-year-old maiden at Grennan. He had shown snippets of ability last term but, having been dropped in and fitted with a hood, he stepped up notably and battled gamely to lead on the line. Seeing him perform so well over three miles was very encouraging as he is bred to have a lot of speed. His dam won six races as a two and a three-year-old and she has bred eight winners from eight runners to date. All of them have won on the flat so this fellow should be a worthwhile contender for a bumper and shorter trips. John ‘Shark’ Hanlon paid £15,000 for him since he won.

FOR INSTANCE

4yo b g (31)

Milan - Justamemory

(Zaffaran)

W.F. Codd

An unusual profile for the list as he has been placed in a bumper before winning his four-year-old maiden. In early April at Carlisle he finished 10l third for Tony Coyle when a very easy to back 16/1 from 8/1 morning show. The winner on that occasion was the Donald McCain-trained former pointer Go Conquer. This fellow then made his way to the Codd yard in Wexford and contested a Ballinaboola maiden a couple of weeks ago. The Wexford course requires an accurate jumper and he wasn’t always entirely slick making his debut over obstacles but his ability brought him to the fore and he will have learned plenty from this outing. He is from the family of Chives, McKelvey, Native Bid and Certainly Strong. He has since been sold to Peter and Ross Doyle for £85,000.

AMBER GAMBLER

4yo b g (1)

Doyen - Auenglocke

(Surumu)

P.M.J. Doyle

This youngster won the four-year-old maiden at the charity meeting a Kilworth recently. He is a very athletic sort having jumped and travelled well throughout and his jumping will be a real asset to him. It is an interesting trait to see in his sire Doyen who has had very limited points runners to date. Interestingly, on the same afternoon the Sunnyhill sire had a winner over fences at Auteuil and a Group 3 winner on the flat in Germany so this points to a promising future for the stallion. It is notable that two horses who tried to jump alongside Amber Gambler in the closing stages both came down as he has the scope to take others out of their comfort zone. He picked up readily after the second last. Furthermore, the front pair were a long way clear at the last before the nearest challenger fell so this had the signs of a top-class maiden. He looks a classy individual who finished in front by 10 lengths. He is also a well-bred type, his dam has produced six winners now with plenty of speed including Auenklang who was the champion three-year-old sprinter in Europe in 2000. He was bought by Gearoid Costelloe for £125,000.

KILAS GIRL

4yo b m (1)

Millenary - Ballybeg Dusty

(Beneficial)

Andy Slattery

This daughter of Millenary landed a competitive maiden at Kilworth. She eased her way to the front four fences from home and kept on gamely for a length and half victory over Our Seaside Lady. She jumped well on this occasion and has enough speed to suggest she should have little difficulty in winning over hurdles. It is notable when watching this video that she quickened up readily from the second last. When the others got to her, she battled very gamely but given how she quickened clear it seems very likely that she will be even more effective when dropped back in trip. All in all she looks a decent mare who has a bright future ahead of her under rules.

JETSTREAM JACK

4yo b g (FP1)

Beneficial - Westgrove Berry

(Presenting)

Eoin Doyle

This fellow was a close up second when hampered and coming down two out on his debut at Ballynoe. He then pulled a few weeks later on his only other outing last season having been sent off favourite each time. This season however he gave a true account of himself and went clear under Pat Collins going to the last at Affane and won by four lengths in spite of being hampered at the second last by a loose horse. His dam won three of her 10 starts for Nicky Richards and he is from the family of Fiddling The Facts and For Non Stop. He cost €36,000 as a store and has the makings of a very useful track performer as it is impossible to find anything but positives to date.

GINGILI

4yo b g (541)

Beat All - Gentian

(Generous)

Colin Bowe

This fellow was fourth to Jack Steel in the opening four-year-old maiden of the season and then stepped up to score at Tinahely next time beating the Noel Meade-trained Tiger Sam. He is out of a very useful race mare who won three of her nine starts for Donald McCain. This fellow has made the progression already to the track. Having at Tinahely, he then turned up at Musselburgh on December 7th for Donald McCain and won a bumper. Already track proven, he looks capable of winning his share of races.

COGRYHILL

4yo b g (541)

Presenting - Rare Gesture

(Shalford)

G. Elliott

An impressive winner of the first race ever run at Corbeagh House. Although light on runners, the front pair led up the hill to the last ensuring this fellow had to wait before delivering his challenge at the second last on a short run in. He easily made his way to the front in a matter of strides and went clear readily. Tiger Sam looked beaten at the second last and he had been second on his previous run to a subsequent bumper winner so this maiden had reliable form within it. Cogryhill quickened impressively over the last and to the line and looked one of the most visually impressive youngsters of the season to date.

VINALHAVEN

5yo br g (P1)

Lavirco - Iconea

(Lights Out)

P.M. J. Doyle

19-runner fields are sadly a rarity these days but when they do occur the winner must be given maximum credit. This winner drew clear with another useful sort in Casual Approach and impressively they went 17 lengths clear of the remaining runners which is a very notable achievement. This fellow looks to have the right attributes to go a long way as he found reserves when challenged at the last and went away to win by three lengths. His dam is a winner on the flat and has bred a flat winner also so this could be a very classy sort once campaigned on the track.

ROSSTEMPLE

5yo b g (1)

Kayf Tara - Red Rover

(Infantry)

Enda Bolger

A very good looking individual, he was the eye catcher at Ballinaboola on his debut in a 17-runner maiden. He made a crucial mistake on the final circuit just as the race began to quicken and with many more experienced rivals in the race he had to be very decent to recover ground and get back into contention. He managed to do so and won going away at the line by a length. The bare form of this race would not be enough to recommend this fellow but of the horses profiled here, this fellow probably holds the most potential for improvement in his next outing. He is from the family of The Govaness, Red Marauder and Red Striker. His dam won a Carlisle hurdle for Mary Reveley.

STILLETTO

5yo b g (1)

Westerner - Eastertide

(Alphabatim)

Andrew Latta

In very tough conditions at Maralin, this fellow seemed to be very much at home and gave an exhibition of jumping barring one error at the last fence. He will be a very effective staying chaser through the winters to come as he had most of his rivals struggling from a long way out. He is a half-brother to Eastern Witness who won a point-to-point at Monksgrange and from the family of Proud Bishop who won nine races. Roger Brookhouse has since bought him for £130,000.

KERISPER

5yo b g (41)

Robin Des Champs - Tina Rederie

(Cadoudal)

Colin S. McKeever

This five-year-old posted a very comprehensive performance in winning at Loughbrickland a few weeks ago. He had shown promise when fourth at Necarne towards the end of last season but the step up over the summer was notable. He always appeared to be in second gear and therefore it was difficult to assess just how good he might be. His dam won over fences as a four-year-old in France and he has a sharp page which includes the champion three-year-old in Brazil in 2004. He has speed, stamina and a lot of potential.

PRESENTING LISA

5yo b m (321)

Presenting - Miss Ester

(Alkalde)

D.K. Budds

An impressive winning mare with an outstanding pedigree. She showed a lot of promise on debut last season when only beaten six lengths behind Shes Da One who was since sold for €100,000 at the Punchestown Sale to Tom Malone and Paul Nicholls. She then met Duckweed at Athlacca and finished a creditable second although it seems likely she was below her best on that occasion. She matured over the summer and now looks the finished article as she easily dismissed a field of mares at Loughrea. She looks a sharp type who did well to show the scope required for fences but may find her best form lies over hurdles and she is impeccably bred. She is a half-sister to six winners including Moon Over Miami, Moneytrain and Miami Blues so it is to be expected that she too can progress into a high-class race mare under rules where it would be no surprise to see her find blacktype.