Red Trail

(Andrew McNamara)

Navan, March 4th

It’s hard to get carried away with the level of form she achieved but there was a big step forward from this Galileo Gold filly on her third start over flights in the opening four-year-old maiden hurdle at Navan last Saturday. Things hadn’t gone to plan for the dual flat winner in the early stages of her hurdling career, with the saddle slipping on her introduction to hurdling and then she arguably appeared to lack a little confidence over her obstacles when failing to bring her best out the back at Cork. Freshened up with close to a three-month break, the mount of Sean O’Keeffe raced much more encouragingly at Navan and came home well for fifth (in a bunched finish for third). She could be an interesting handicap prospect over two and a half miles this summer when gaining more experience.

Charity Barnum

(Gordon Elliott)

Navan, March 4th

Connections should not have to wait long for this five-year-old mare by Sholokhov to get off the mark over hurdles, provided her confidence hasn’t been dented by a fall three flights from home at Navan in a two-mile mares’ maiden hurdle. The Gordon Elliott-trained youngster was travelling strongly when departing the contest at the top of the straight, set to build on a decent fifth against the boys on her previous start at the same venue. The form of her penultimate start was also boosted this week when Walhaan and Horantzau D’Airy, both who finished ahead of her, filled the first two places in a Leopardstown maiden hurdle. There should be more to come from her.

Iceberg Theory

(Paul Nolan)

Leopardstown, March 5th

Paul Nolan appears to be building a nice team of young horses, with two of his eight winners this season being four-year-olds. Iceberg Theory, also aged four, should be able to add his name to the scoresheet this term if building on his promising debut third at Leopardstown in a four-year-old bumper last Sunday. By Flemensfirth and out of listed bumper winner Joanne One, he looked a pretty raw individual and showed signs of greenness before the penny began to drop inside the final furlong when staying on well. The winner, The Yellow Clay, appears to be held in high regard by his connections, and there should be plenty of improvement to come from the Nolan-trained third too.

Star Harbour is proven at a decent level on the flat and came home promisingly over hurdles at Leopardstown \ Healy Racing

Star Harbour

(Ado McGuinness)

Leopardstown, March 6th

It looks as though this premier handicap-level flat performer is getting the hang of things over hurdles, and he could be interesting when tackling handicap hurdle company this summer, potentially at the Galway Festival. Rated 92 on the flat, there is definite scope for him to prove better than an introductory hurdles mark of 116 when fully sharpening up with more experience in this sphere. He wasn’t disgraced when set a tough task behind High Definition and finishing mid-field in a Leopardstown Christmas Festival maiden hurdle, before filling a similar position at Punchestown on heavier-than-ideal ground. Switching back to a sounder surface at Leopardstown last Monday, he looked more comfortable and did good late work to stay on into third, having raced a little keenly early. He shapes as though a strongly-run handicap hurdle will play to his strengths in time.

It’sallabouteve

(Brendan Walsh)

Leopardstown, March 6th

Front runners appeared to be favoured at Leopardstown on Monday so the effort of It’sallabouteve when fourth to all-the-way-winner Clever Currency can probably be marked up given she was ridden patiently from well off the pace. The Doyen mare, who is closely related to Cheltenham Festival winner and Grand National second Balthazar King, has been a little hit and miss at times but has more ability than her mark of 107 when putting it all together. She doesn’t appear to be overly ground-dependent, having notched her wins on heavy and yielding to soft going, but two miles on good to yielding ground at Leopardstown on Monday would have been sharper than ideal for her. She can add to her tally when stepping back up in trip on slightly easier ground.

Harvest Home

(Gordon Elliott)

Leopardstown, March 6th

There was some minor encouragement to be taken from how this well-bred six-year-old shaped when finishing mid-field on her belated debut at Leopardstown on Monday in a mares’ bumper. Trained by Gordon Elliott and ridden by David Dunsdon, whose Coldunell Limited owns the daughter of Gemix, Harvest Home lost her pitch when the race began to unfold and was always going to struggle to land a telling blow from there. She raced down the inner on the final race of the card, with those who ran on this area of the track in the bumper seemingly not at an advantage compared to those who kept off the rail. A half-sister to Daylight Katie, who was a classy bumper performer and novice hurdler for the same connections, this mare isn’t as precocious and may not be a bumper type but she can come into her own when sent over an obstacle for her top yard.