Ossie’s Lodge

(Tony Martin)

Navan, December 9th

He ended up being soundly beaten by 36 lengths, but Ossie’s Lodge travelled in an eyecatching manner on what was his third start over hurdles before fading at the business end, and he could be worth keeping an eye on in handicap company going forward. A bumper winner on yielding ground at Down Royal in May, having previously finished third to The Yellow Clay in a listed bumper at Limerick, this four-year-old jumped well when finishing eighth of 26 runners in the two-mile maiden hurdle won by Jigoro at Navan last Saturday, in testing conditions. He probably wants better ground. Having been beaten 16 lengths and 25 lengths in mid-field on his previous appearances in maiden hurdles, it’s hard to imagine the handicapper will be overly hard on him for an opening mark. This youngster should have more to offer going forward. (MB)

Caldwell Potter

(Gordon Elliott)

Navan, December 9th

Caldwell Potter isn’t exactly a dark horse given the way he won at Navan on Saturday, but it was a little surprising not to see a little bit more hype about the style in which he won, especially in the ante-post racing world we live in now. Gordon Elliott’s gelding looked really smart here, travelling smoothly throughout the two-mile contest, picking up well to go clear in the straight, and Jack Kennedy could afford to ease him down after the last. The time he clocked was all of 12 seconds faster than his four-year-old stablemate Jigoro half an hour later, and that Bective Stud-owned horse looked quite impressive as well. Caldwell Potter comes from a star family – he’s a full-brother to Mighty Potter and a half-brother to French Dynamite, Indiana Jones and Brighterdaysahead. He finished second to the smart It’s For Me in a maiden hurdle on his first start of the season, but showed a clear benefit from that run here. The Future Champions Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown may come too soon for him, but he’d definitely be of interest if declared for that two-mile Grade 1. (RG)

He’s Ultimate

(Gordon Elliott)

Navan, December 9th

The market seemed to be pretty chilly about the prospects of Caldwell Potter’s stablemate He’s Ultimate (SP 16/1) on his stable/hurdling debut, but he still showed a decent degree of promise with a view to picking up a race later this season. It had been a whole 602 days since the Champs Elysees gelding had been seen finishing second to aforementioned It’s For Me on his sole start between the flags, changing hands for £105,000 later that month in April 2022. That point-to-point was run on ground described as good to yielding, and Elliott withdrew him as a non-runner twice last season due to unsuitable ground called as soft to heavy and soft. He never appeared at all last term so there could be a fair deal of improvement in him, and this effort – finishing a 27-length fourth of 25 runners – came on heavy ground. There is definite scope for him to sharpen up his jumping too, so he’s worth sticking in the notebook as one with a real chance of progressing. (MB)

Canal End

(Peter Fahey)

Navan, December 9th

The market was much more positive about the chances of third-placed Canal End in the €100,000 Bective Stud, Tea Rooms & Apartments Handicap Hurdle, tightening up to as short as 2/1 favourite in the ring (from 4/1). Stepping up dramatically in trip to three miles and a furlong from his comeback fifth at Galway in October over two miles, perhaps coming from well off the pace was an unenviable assignment in such testing conditions (winds were strong all afternoon and ground described as heavy). The winner raced a little closer to the pace while still having decent cover, while the front-running Summerville Boy finished second after attempting to make all, and fourth-placed Ailie Rose tracked the leader. A 1lb rise to 125 still probably underestimates the Peter Fahey-trained five-year-old. He should be able to exploit that before the season is out. (MB)

Ailie Rose

(Stuart Crawford)

Navan, December 9th

Ailie Rose did well to finish fourth to We’llhavewan, beaten just 11 lengths, in the same listed three-mile handicap hurdle at Navan on Saturday. She was the only horse in the field making her seasonal debut, so given the heavy ground conditions (half the 16-runner field pulled up), it was admirable the way she stuck to her task, holding a prominent position throughout the contest. Heavy ground might be important to her, but she has form on better ground as well, and might be worth chancing in a Pertemps qualifier now, given she is still relatively unexposed over this trip. She was about to run a really good race in the Grade 3 Betfair Exchange Stayers Handicap Hurdle behind Botox Has last season, when she took a fall at the last, and she may well be better equipped for that calibre of race now. (RG)

Lecky Watson

(Willie Mullins)

Navan, December 9th

There was a lot to like about the performance of Lecky Watson to run Slade Steel to half a length in the Grade 2 Navan Novice Hurdle last Saturday. Willie Mullins’ gelding was novicey early on in the two-and-a-half-mile contest and he looked a bit awkward when presented to challenge in the straight, before staying on to be clear best of the rest after the last. Last year’s Champion Bumper fourth looks a bit of a work in progress – he just about got home to win a two-mile-seven-furlong contest at Thurles on seasonal debut. On the flip side, he has loads of scope to improve once he gets more experience and perhaps back up to a three-mile trip. The form of that Thurles contest has actually held quite well, with the third Shannon Royale bolting up on his next start. The horse that split the pair, Rushmount, was mentioned here as a horse to follow after that run, and that looks an even stronger case now. (RG)

McGrath From Clune

(Robert Tyner)

Cork, December 10th

McGrath From Clune might not have been convenienced by making the running when finishing fourth to Cafe Con Leche in a two-mile-one-furlong handicap hurdle at Cork on Sunday. He led at a slow pace, but looked a bit of a sitting duck when the race developed into a fast finish in the straight. Previously, when he won over fences at Thurles, he was able to take a lead, and usually that has been the case for him – he was held up on his last run at Cork when coming through late on to finish a close second to Skinnider. Well backed here, he looks capable of landing a handicap hurdle soon. (RG)

Petit King

(Eddie Cawley)

Punchestown, December 12th

After a couple of no-shows over fences, Petit King looked much more at home back over hurdles when he won going away from Morricone in the extended two-mile-three-furlong handicap hurdle at Punchestown on Tuesday. Eddie Cawley’s gelding caught the eye a couple of times last season, notably when fourth and third in a couple of competitive novice handicap hurdles at Down Royal and Fairyhouse respectively. He is lightly raced and off a lowly mark, he may well be able to go in again soon. (RG)

Will Wilde

(Liz Doyle)

Naas, December 14th

There are bound to be races to be won over obstacles with the Liz Doyle-trained Will Wilde, who caught the eye finishing third behind a couple of smart sorts on his hurdling debut at Naas on Thursday. A lightly raced four-year-old by Martaline who won a bumper at Sligo in October, the late support behind him was strong – backed from 9/1 in the ring down to 7/2. There was no matching the Willie Mullins-trained winner Quai De Bourbon, but he did stick to his task well in defeat and a maiden hurdle win should be within his grasp with normal improvement from this introductory run over flights. His bumper form got a boost of sorts too, when Bleu De Vassy, who finished second to him at Sligo, was just touched off behind the well-regarded Petit Secret in a traditionally hot bumper at the Fairyhouse Winter Festival. (MB)

Glen Kiln

(Harry Kelly)

Naas, December 14th

In the same two-mile-three-furlong maiden hurdle for four-year-olds, there was a noteworthy showing from the Bowe family’s homebred Glen Kiln, who ran better than his finishing position in sixth (beaten 13 and a half lengths). This was the Harry Kelly-trained gelding’s third run in the space of just 39 days, having caught the eye when fourth at 200/1 behind Flamborough, Jigoro and Fenway Park on his hurdling introduction at Cork in early November. He ran below that level when second in a weaker race at Limerick and perhaps this Naas outing came a little sooner than ideal. He travelled sweetly but dropped away in the closing stages. All things considered, he could strengthen up more with time and surely has the talent to win races when putting it all together. (MB)