BURSTING through the fog on a crisp morning at Closutton this week came one of the strongest teams of National Hunt horses we’ve likely seen for some time.
Across the first 22 horses on display alone were the winners of 60 different Grade 1 races and over €8.75 million in prize money.
That is some haul considering the lot did not even feature the recently injured Energumene (six-time Grade 1 winner who has earned close to €1.2 million), Melbourne Cup hope Vauban (three-time Grade 1 winner with close to €500,000 in earnings) and last season’s winner of the €500,000 BoyleSports Irish Grand National I Am Maximus, who is said to have Aintree on his agenda for the coming campaign.
Cheltenham Festival winner Elimay, top-class two-mile chaser Chacun Pour Soi and 2021 Irish Gold Cup hero Kemboy are also no longer in the Co Carlow ranks having been retired over the last number of months.
The squad is strengthened, however, by the return of spectacular chaser Allaho, who kicks off our stable tour with the 17-time champion trainer.
Allaho
He had a very unusual injury last year, around this time. He came back from the gallop and displayed signs of colic, and yet we couldn’t find any colic in him. All his vitals were alright, but it transpired he had bleed on his spleen, which is very unusual. I’d never heard of it before in a horse - without an accident, anyhow. He was just cantering, but he is a huge horse - probably one of the biggest, if not the biggest, we have in the place - and that probably brings its own problems sometimes. They can carry weight easier over long trips but their own weight, I suppose, is sometimes a negative in their career. But he’s in great shape this season. I’m very happy with him. He’ll probably start off in the Clonmel Oil Chase. I think he’s ready for that, and hopefully back for a Ryanair Chase again, if we can. He won the Gold Cup at Punchestown and people were maybe talking about the Cheltenham Gold Cup, but I think the Cheltenham Gold Cup trip might be a little too long for him. He’s good around Cheltenham over that Ryanair trip and I think that’s where I’d like to keep him.
Allegorie De Vassy
Unfortunately for J.P. McManus and Colm Murphy, Impervious is out for at least the first half of the season, which gives us a great shout now [in the mares’ chasing division]. There’s the listed T.A. Morris Memorial Mares’ Chase at Clonmel coming up on November 9th and she’ll start off there. After that, there’s very little in the mares’ open chasing division so she’ll have to mix it with the geldings, which I don’t think will be any problem for her to do. The Mares’ Chase in Cheltenham is going to be her target.
Appreciate It
I liked the way he moved around the gallop this morning. The ground was quite heavy after all the rain we’ve had – we had an inch of rain here a day ago. He’s improved hugely in the last three weeks. A month ago, I didn’t think I’d have him ready until Christmas, but I see a huge amount of improvement in him. We went down the two-mile route last season but he’s another horse I’m looking at aiming at the Ryanair, that middle distance, I think, and maybe a longer distance. At the moment, that’s the way my eye is set.
Ashroe Diamond
We were thinking about going chasing and I had a chat with the connections this week; we changed our minds and will stay hurdling, with the Mares’ Hurdles at Cheltenham and Punchestown as her objectives.
Aurora Vega
I’m giving her a break now. She’s won three, and she’ll probably stay bumpering this year. We’ll go for the Grade 2 mares’ bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival, and we’ll see if she’ll have another run after that, in the spring. I’d be happy if she went there; that’s her main target for me this season. She’s not a mare who will go over fences, so she can have a novice hurdling season next year.
Ballyburn
He was very impressive twice last season in bumpers at Punchestown. He was very hard on himself both times and I’m hoping hurdles will settle him down a bit. He’ll need to settle and learn how to race because he’s just very keen and I think he won’t get away with that as he goes up in standard over hurdles. A few runs over hurdles probably will sort that out. Some people are saying the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle direction but I’m just wondering, with his pedigree, is he more of a staying hurdler? With his method of racing at the moment, he’s probably more of a Supreme Novices’ horse.
Batman Girac
A nice type of horse who won over hurdles at Compiegne in the spring. It’s very nice what he’s doing here at the moment and hopefully he’ll make into a Triumph Hurdle horse, but he could be a Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle horse either.
Blizzard Of Oz
He finished second in a Grade 2 bumper at Aintree last spring and looks a lovely big chasing type. He’s a novice hurdler, looking to be in the staying division.
Blood Destiny
I’m looking forward to him going chasing. Last year he was doing some of the best work of any of our juveniles mid-season and he just didn’t follow it through. I think fences will bring out the ability he was showing us here last season. He’s a bigger type of horse who will take jumping all right.
Blue Lord
He’s also pencilled in for the Clonmel Oil Chase, having won the race last year. He was very impressive over two miles [and a furlong] at Leopardstown last Christmas, but we know he stays two and a half. I don’t want to go much further with him, so he’ll go down the two-mile or two-and-a-half-mile route. The Champion Chase and Ryanair Chase look his type of races, and we’ll see where he puts himself after the Dublin Racing Festival.
Brandy Love
I’m going to start her off over fences. She likes going left-handed. When a horse likes going one way over another, they’re obviously favouring something - maybe in a leg or a shoulder, or something. That seems to be her way. She’s very good when things go right for her. She looks like a chasing mare, so we’re going to start her off over fences. She jumps well at the moment and if she stays right, she’ll go down the Mares’ Chase route.
Bronn
He was our 4,000th winner last season at Fairyhouse and was placed in Grade 1s at Cheltenham and Aintree last spring. He’ll stay chasing this term and I’d imagine he’ll remain in the staying division. He could be one for a handicap.
Bunting
A three-year-old who won a maiden on the flat at Fontainebleau in March and is just back in. He looks another nice dual-purpose type. He jumps well and is one I’m looking forward to getting out.
Chapeau Du Soleil
He’s a nice horse. Disappointing in the Champion Bumper but is a horse who does everything nice at home. He could go novice hurdling, but I haven’t decided yet. Knowing the horse, he might need hurdles to cool him down.
Daddy Long Legs
A nice dual-purpose type of four-year-old who was just touched off in a maiden at Saint-Cloud last year. He’s doing everything right, and hopefully he might be out shortly.
Dysart Dynamo
His ability seems to be in the fact that he can gallop and jump from the start. He probably needs nice ground to do that. He’s our Poplar Square Chase horse, so will start off there, at Naas, and we’ll take the two-mile route for him for the rest of the season.
El Fabiolo
At this stage in time, he’s our replacement for Energumene. I think he will start off in the Hilly Way Chase at Cork, now that Energumene is not going there, and then plan a route to Cheltenham.
Enola
A listed winner on the flat in France last year who is now a four-year-old. She’s a lovely filly, and looks like a real dual-purpose type.
Ethical Diamond
He came to us after winning a maiden on the flat at Limerick earlier this year. He’s another dual-purpose horse who one day I’m hoping - apart from being a top novice hurdler - could be a Cesarewitch horse or a premier handicap horse on the flat.
Facile Vega
He probably didn’t do everything I thought he would do last year. Some things just didn’t go right for him during the season but I’m very happy with him coming back this season. He was in particularly good shape on the gallop this morning, I thought. He will start off over fences and the way he gallops and jumps, I’d imagine he will be going the shortest trip because he looks like an Arkle horse. But there’s plenty of stamina in his pedigree and if he has to go out in trip, that’d be no trouble to him. At the moment I would be looking at a beginners’ chase somewhere, maybe next month, and then head to Leopardstown at Christmas. Hopefully Leopardstown, Dublin Racing Festival and then on to March.
Fact To File
He goes straight over fences. We sort of had a choice last term whether we’d stay bumpering or go novice hurdling and I elected to stay bumpering. We said that if we stayed at the bumper route that we’d go novice chasing this year and cut out the hurdling because he looks like a chaser. He’s a beautiful horse, an armchair ride and has got the temperament and everything. I think he’s a horse who will be at the top of the staying novice chasing division. It’s not something we do often, going straight over fences from a bumper. I thought it was worth going down the bumper route last season; I felt he could win at Cheltenham and he was just beaten by A Dream To Share so that was good enough. I think the size and scope of the horse means I’d like to go chasing.
Ferny Hollow
He is making very slow progress. We weren’t at all happy with him last spring and we decided to give him the summer off. Reports are a lot better now, and we’ll give him all the time he wants. He’s too good a horse to just put by the wayside at this stage. I don’t think we’re making a plan for him this season. If anything, it will be the very end of the season.
Flame Bearer
He’s had a little setback very early in the season and just cracked a bone. We had a little chip removed and that means he’ll miss the first part of the season.
Fun Fun Fun
Novice hurdling is the plan for her. She was very impressive in bumpers last season and I’m hoping she’ll do the same over hurdles.
Gaelic Warrior
I’m going to go novice chasing with him. I sort of said after Punchestown, in the heat of the moment, that he’d be a perfect horse for the Stayers’ Hurdle. If his career over fences doesn’t go well, maybe we will go down that route but at the moment he’s going chasing and would look ideal for those staying novice chases. He looks to be one of our best this year for the Brown Advisory, I’d say.
Gaillard Du Mesnil
He looked the obvious horse to stay going for the Aintree Grand National. I’m wondering which direction to go with him. I know I want to get a few more runs into him this year. Whether I start him off over hurdles or over fences, the Aintree National will be the main target. I’ve no plan made for him at this stage, but I’d like to have three or four runs into him before April.
Gala Marceau
She’s a fair mare. She won the Grade 1 Prix Alain du Breil at Auteuil last season, which I think is worth a lot more than the Triumph Hurdle, so it shows how good she is. She’ll go down the Mares’ Hurdle route this year. We’ll have to find a race for her before Christmas but that’s the sort of route she goes for Kenny Alexander.
Galopin Des Champs
I know the John Durkan is a week nearer the start of the season this year, which is probably better, so he will go there. I’d imagine I will try to do what we did last year with him, keep the same routine. He will start there and then to Leopardstown at Christmas, the Dublin Racing Festival, then onto March, and then Punchestown. I think it was the end of the season for him when he was beaten at Punchestown last spring, and the two horses up front [Galopin Des Champs and Bravemansgame] took each other on earlier than J.J. Slevin did on the winner, Fastorslow, who came from behind. I think Fastorslow is a very good horse and could be a real contender this season. He had some good form in France previously. My attitude is that when you have a Gold Cup horse, you run in those top races rather than putting them away for the following year. He was fit and well, so had to stand up and take his chance. That’s what those races are there for. I was disappointed he was beaten, rather than how he ran in the race. There could be improvement in him this season. He’s seven so you’d hope those types of horses would improve until they are eight or nine. If I can get him back to where he was, I’ll be happy.
Gold Dancer
A four-year-old by Doctor Dino who won over hurdles at Compiegne in May. He’s another one that will make a nice novice hurdler.
Grangeclare West
A good winner at the Punchestown Festival on his last start. He’ll go chasing hopefully. I think he’ll be a staying novice.
Hercule Du Seuil
He’s won five over fences already this season. We’ll have to pick his next target, I’m not sure yet. While the ground was decent we were staying going but, with all this rain, we might give him a break. He hasn’t got one yet but it’ll be up for discussion shortly. You normally get nice ground at Leopardstown. Maybe we could skip the rest of the autumn and go to Leopardstown at Christmas and for the Dublin Racing Festival, hoping the ground stays right. We could get nice ground for him in England either.
Highwind
A three-year-old by Zarak who won at Deauville earlier this year. He could be another nice dual-purpose horse, and could be a Triumph Hurdle horse, hopefully.
I Am Maximus
He’ll go down the Grand National route. I didn’t think with a circuit to go in the Irish National that you’d be calling him the winner. It just shows the talents of Paul [Townend], giving him an extraordinary ride.
Icare Desbois
He won the Tattersalls George Mernagh Memorial Bumper on his only start [in April 2022] and didn’t get to run last season. He’s a novice hurdler who will go down the two-mile route.
Il Etait Temps
I’m going novice chasing with him. I often felt that he didn’t have any respect for hurdles. I think he’ll have far more respect for his fences, and it might settle him down too. I think in a lot of his races, he didn’t help himself by being too free, and I think a couple of runs over fences will be a big help to him. He could be another Arkle horse, or he can go down the two-and-a-half-mile route
Impaire Et Passe
I think connections are keen to stay hurdling with him and have a crack at the Champion Hurdle. I’m not sure whether that decision was made when Constitution Hill’s plans were up in the air but I think he has a fair crack at the Champion Hurdle. He won the Ballymore and was very impressive. The only reason he ran in the Ballymore was because we had Facile Vega in the Supreme Novices’. He’ll probably have to improve a fair bit to beat Constitution Hill, but people have to take him on too. That’s the decision that’s been made this year, to go that direction. The Hatton’s Grace will probably be his first target.
It’s For Me
A nice bumper type who won well at Navan last season and finished fifth in the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham. He could go novice hurdling but we have no great plan.
Jasmin De Vaux
A lovely type of horse for Simon [Munir] and Isaac [Souede] who won a four-year-old point-to-point on his only start in the spring for Stuart Crawford. I’d imagine he will go for a bumper.
Jit Langy
A winner on his first start for us at Tipperary in May; he looked a real nice type. He could be a Ballymore horse.
Joystick
A lovely horse we got off Donnchadh Doyle after finishing third on his only run in a point-to-point. He’s a nice, long, lean, real staying type. I’d imagine he’ll start in bumpers.
Kargese
A three-year-old filly who has won two of her three starts over hurdles in France, including a Grade 3 at Auteuil in May. Hopefully she’s a Triumph Hurdle horse.
Klassical Dream
We had him schooled well over fences last year and he got injured, so he’s one that will go novice chasing this year and hopefully he’ll stay right. He’s one I’ve always wanted to go chasing with. He’s easier to keep sound over hurdles and I’m just hoping that, with age and maturity, he’s going to make into a staying novice chaser - another Brown Advisory horse.
Lossiemouth
The Champion Hurdle and Mares’ Hurdle are her options, but more than likely the Mares’ Hurdle. I haven’t decided yet where she’s going to start off. She had a busy enough season last season and is only four. We’d like to run her at Cheltenham, the Dublin Racing Festival and Christmas, so whether I give her a run before that, I’ve not decided. I might just keep her fresh. I’m inclined to get her good and strong before we send her back out to war.
Majborough
A lovely looking horse. He’s got great presence, a lovely big chasing type of horse. He won a good-class race over hurdles at Auteuil in April and could be a top three-year-old. Looking at him, I think he’s going to be a top chaser. He’s a lovely big horse and to say that he’s only a three-year-old going over hurdles, he looks like a chaser in the making.
Minella Cocooner
He’s a nice novice chaser, a Grade 1 winner as a novice over hurdles. We were disappointed when he got beaten on his only start last season in a beginners’ chase at Gowran last November but he missed the rest of the season and the fact he hasn’t won means he can go back novice chasing this season.
Mirazur West
A brother to Ferny Hollow. He’s doing everything right. He won a bumper at Naas in March so will go novice hurdling this year. He’s sharp enough at the moment. I think he would be towards the top of the pecking order amongst our novice hurdlers.
Mister Policeman
He does fantastic work at home. He won well on his only start for us at Cork last spring but I thought, on his homework, he would do it a lot better. He’s a horse I think has huge ability. We’ll go novice chasing and could always go back hurdling if things don’t work out. I think he’s a horse who will improve a lot for what you saw on the racetrack that day down at Cork.
Monkfish
I’m very happy with how he came out of last season, with his two runs [finishing second at Fairyhouse and down the field at Punchestown]. He’s in great shape on the gallop. I’d imagine I’ll start him off over hurdles, just to get a run under his belt, and then we’ll go back chasing. That’s the plan. So far, so good. His health problems have been no problem this season. Who knows, he may get a Gold Cup entry if all goes well.
Mr Incredible
He has a mind of his own. He went off galloping yesterday and Patrick was happy with him. He’s a Patrick project and I’m sure he’ll make a plan for him.
Mystical Power
He won nicely at Galway and is on a break at the moment. I’ll have to make a decision in the next week or two as to whether we get him back for the Royal Bond or maybe just wait longer and go a grade lower than taking on Grade 1 horses second time over hurdles.
Nick Rockett
He won both of his hurdles starts last season and did it nicely at Fairyhouse over Easter. I think he’ll be a staying novice chaser this time around.
Ocastle Des Mottes
A four-year-old who has won a listed handicap hurdle at Compiegne and another handicap hurdle at Auteuil on his last start. He looks a nice type of horse but is only cantering away. We’ll do two or three bits of work and if he merits an entry in the Royal Bond, we’ll give it to him.
On Cloud Wine
An unraced four-year-old by Sea The Stars. At the moment he’s with the other bumper horses cantering away. He looks a nice type who we got from the Derby Sale.
Predators Gold
He won well on his only start in the Goffs Defender Bumper at last season’s Punchestown Festival. I think he looks like a staying novice hurdler.
Redemption Day
We didn’t manage to run him last season and he won’t come out until near Christmas, but I’m very happy with how he has progressed this season. He showed a lot of speed in his bumpers and finished second in the Grade 1 Champion Bumper at Punchestown in 2022. I’m delighted that he’s come back.
Salvator Mundi
A three-year-old by No Risk At All who is just back in. He could be a top-class juvenile hurdler, looking at his runs. He finished second in a listed hurdle at Auteuil in April and the winner [Sir Gino] was then bought to join Nicky Henderson by the same owners [Joe and Marie Donnelly].
Sharjah
He’s taken to chasing very well. I’m very happy with him, and the obvious target would be the Drinmore, but he’s had a long summer. I don’t think he’s had a break and I’m toying with the idea of giving him a break and keeping him for Christmas and spring. I’ve got to make up my mind shortly.
Sir Gerhard
He disappointed us. He won well the first day over fences at Gowran and jumped poorly enough after that. Then he was just touched off behind Flame Bearer at Fairyhouse and jumped well that day, I think. I’m wondering did he just not stay. His pedigree suggests he should stay much further than that. He’s a horse who, if I can get his jumping right this year, will stay over fences. I’m not sure at which trip. At one stage of his career I thought he could be a Champion Hurdle horse, but we went out in trip with him because he didn’t jump well enough. I know he has the ability to jump well enough when he wants to. What we might find ourselves doing with him if things don’t go well over fences in the early part of the season is switch him to being a staying hurdler.
State Man
He stays hurdling and the obvious first target is the Morgiana.Himself and Impaire Et Passe will probably be going down the Champion Hurdle route and I’d say State Man will go for Morgiana and Impaire Et Passe will head for the Hatton’s Grace. The two of them will get entries in both, and either could do either depending on which horse is ready first for the Morgiana. It’s hard to see him beating Constitution Hill but I’m hoping he will improve. When you can win four Grade 1s in Ireland and every horse is only one gallop away from an injury… Constitution Hill has to get there and we have to get there, and we just felt that he could earn his keep easier over hurdles. As you know, we can go novice chasing with older horses here – at 11 or 12, maybe!
Stattler
We were going to go hunter chasing with him but because he was placed in a Grade 1 he’s not qualified and has to go down, for argument’s sake, the Gold Cup route. We’ll aim a bit lower, I think, but will go for something like the John Durkan as a possible starting point and see from there.
The Nice Guy
We didn’t get to see him last season due to a setback. He’s not on the list to run at this stage.
Tullyhill
A big chasing type who finished second to A Dream To Share in the Grade 1 Champion Bumper at Punchestown. He’s going hurdling and would look more of a Ballymore or Albert Bartlett type. However, he looks a chaser in the longer term. He has the look of a real three-mile chaser about him.
You Oughta Know
He’s been very impressive in his two bumper wins at Kilbeggan and Galway this season. I thought I’d give him a chance to be a really good horse, so I gave him a break and he will probably come back over hurdles.
Zarak The Brave
In some ways, he’s had a hard season. He disappointed last time at Tipperary and I want to give him a small break now; he’s only four. He missed the first half of last season with a colic but came back at Punchestown, went to France and then we got him ready for Galway. I’m giving him an easy time at the minute. We had ideas of going to Auteuil in November for a big pot but we’ve put a line through that. It might be Christmas or the Dublin Racing Festival before he comes back again.
Zenta
It was good to see her win a Grade 1 at Aintree last spring. I think we’ll go novice chasing with her, that’s what’s in our heads at the minute. She jumps well and stays well. We thought she could do that and if it doesn’t work out, she can come back hurdling.
One horse who might surprise people this season
I’m not sure, but maybe Fact To File. I think going from bumpers to fences will be interesting. I’m really looking forward to seeing him over fences.
His hopes of winning a first Melbourne Cup
We’re very happy with Vauban and Absurde, both of them are doing very well in Australia. David Casey is very pleased with them. Both will handle any sort of ground, but probably softer ground will suit us more than the Australian horses. There are a lot of 30-degree days down there, but it changes all the time. It’s not an issue with either or our horses as they can both go on fast ground. It would look like our best chance at winning the race to this stage. Vauban looks the one.
The Gambling Regulation Bill
At the moment we have discussions surrounding gambling in Britain and Ireland. They are gambling issues, I think, rather than racing issues. I hope the gaming section of the industry get together and can sort out the issues in both countries because to me, I hate the fact that people can get caught addicted to gambling, but that happens in many walks of life. People get addicted to alcohol, people get addicted to money, with embezzlement in banks and businesses. Addiction is a whole different problem but I don’t think it should shut down an industry in either country. It has to be dealt with by a different means, I think, because we have such a great industry.