Musical Tribute

(Keith Clarke)

?Dundalk, February 23rd

Musical Tribute is relatively new to these shores, having been picked up for 20,000gns out of Harry Eustace’s yard back in October, but she has now fired multiple warning shots and can be considered a likely future winner. In her three starts for Keith Clarke, she has moved closer to the target with each run; finishing fourth (beaten a length and three quarters), then third (beaten half a length) and, most recently, second (beaten a neck) in sprint handicaps. She did not get the rub of the green in that last six-furlong start and had to fight for room at a key stage in a race that turned somewhat tactical. It’s not ideal that the handicapper nudged her up 2lb for a defeat, but she could well have won with a clear passage and then would be staring down the barrel of a bigger hike. She should do a trick for her new connections and could be one for summer sprinting on turf too. (MB)

?Solly Attwell

(Cian Collins)

Fairyhouse, February 24th

Having been beaten 41 lengths, 59 lengths, 82 lengths and 51 lengths in his four starts in maiden hurdles, there was considerable progress from the Cian Collins-trained Solly Attwell on his handicap debut at Fairyhouse. The fact this was a weak contest needs to be factored in, but this lightly raced six-year-old was a big eyecatcher and got within three quarters of a length of a well-handicapped winner, Jouster. He’s been pushed up 4lb to a mark of 97, so being knocked out of handicaps restricted to those rated 95 or less is a shame. That said, this run, and his previous encouraging efforts in point-to-points, suggest he should be well able to overcome his new mark with this experience under his girth. A half-brother to the stable’s useful Mighty Tom, he looks up to winning races. (MB)

?Lord Vader

(Emmet Mullins)

Leopardstown, March 3rd

Lord Vader was just getting into the maiden hurdle won by Zeeband at Leopardstown on Sunday when he unseated Conor Clarke at the second last. It is difficult to say with any certainty where he would have finished but connections may well have a fair idea via jockey feedback, and he is definitely worth monitoring next time out or indeed when he gets a chance to take on a handicap hurdle. Previously he wasn’t disgraced when finishing 13th in the maiden hurdle won by No Flies On Him at the same track on St Stephen’s Day, having been in good form on the flat through the summer, notably winning a maiden at Cork and finishing third to Bottler’secret at Galway. (RG)

Now Where Or When

(Stuart Crawford)

Leopardstown, March 3rd

Now Where Or When is well worth following into the spring, especially when he gets a chance to race on better ground. Stuart Crawford’s nine-year-old was a notable drifter in the betting in the Listed QuinnBet Handicap Chase at Leopardstown on Sunday, going off 16/1. That may have been on account of the soft ground or a signal from the stable, and with that in mind, the horse did reasonably well to finish a 14-length seventh to Brideswell Lad. Last season, he ran really well to finish sixth to The Goffer over the same course and distance at the Dublin Racing Festival and was just touched off by Kemboy and Vanillier in the Grade 3 Bobbyjo Chase on his next start. He has come back down to a very workable mark of 130 and he should have plenty of options as the ground starts to dry in the coming months. (RG)

Blossom De Mai

(Philip Rothwell)

Leopardstown, March 4th

First time headgear may well have helped Blosson De Mai in her effort to finish third to Lovely Reaction in a two-and-a-half-mile mares’ handicap hurdle at Leopardstown on Monday. Philip Rothwell’s mare was held up out the back of the field by Conor Owens but settled nicely and was able to come through the pack to challenge Lovely Reaction at the last. She couldn’t keep tabs on that rival, and eventually lost second on the run in but it was a pleasing effort from her. The daughter of Spanish Moon is having a decent season, having won at Tramore in November and finished a close fifth to Butty O Brien at Navan in December. She showed here she can win another one. (RG)

Neon Diamond

(Gordon Elliott)

Leopardstown, March 4th

Conditions were demanding for young horses at Leopardstown on Monday, particularly by the time the concluding mares’ bumper came around. The beautifully-bred winner, Magic McColgan, showed the benefit of a previous bumper run at Limerick over Christmas for Willie Mullins and toughed it out well, but the Gordon Elliott-trained runner-up Neon Diamond showed a fine effort in defeat against a likely quality rival. Also second in her two point-to-point starts for Colin Bowe before joining the Cullentra team for £80,000, she pulled nine and a half lengths clear of the third here and looks up to winning another mares’ bumper. She looked to try hard here and seems to have a fine attitude for the job, despite her three consecutive seconds to start her career. (MB)

Ryehill

(Ross O’Sullivan)

Thurles, March 5th

There was no catching the front-running Boss Robin in the maiden hunter chase at Thurles on Tuesday, with the winner getting into a decent rhythm and staying strongly in testing conditions. Runner-up Ryehill showed definite promise in defeat, however, and can make his own mark in time for Ross O’Sullivan. The seven-year-old ended up giving the winner a proper headstart after getting shuffled back at the start when God Help Us whipped around as the tapes went up and hampered some runners, while the winner got a flyer. Ryehill also showed a tendency to jump out to his left, which didn’t help his cause going right-handed, so this effort on his rules debut can be marked up. Already a dual point-to-point winner, there are surely races to be won with him on the track. (MB)

Brave Fortune

(Pat Doyle)

Thurles, March 5th

It didn’t look an overly strong maiden hurdle that Brave Fortune was third in at Thurles, but he showed enough to suggest a similar race will be within his compass. He spent 121 days off the track after his rules debut when tried in a listed novice hurdle over three miles at Cork in November, and dropping to two miles mightn’t have been ideal around here for one who showed promise over further, and he was ridden a little off the leaders in fifth. He still travelled well and didn’t find loads of daylight when switched to the inner in the straight. The 15-length point-to-point winner also wasn’t overly fluent at the last when needing a sound leap, so there’s more than one reason to believe he has the potential to win a maiden hurdle before long. (MB)