Samain
5g Black Sam Bellamy -
Gigginstown House Stud
He was unbeaten last season
in three bumpers and improved with every run. If he can transfer that level of ability
to hurdling then he should do very well in novice races. He has a high cruising speed
and will start over 2m. We will take it from there and let him find the trip that
suits best. He seems adaptable in terms of ground. He has met with a setback and
will not reappear until the second half of the season
Sarabad
3g Astarabad -
Mrs S Ricci
He was placed a couple of times over hurdles
in France when trained by Elie Lellouche but has disappointed us twice at Leopardstown
and Thurles. He has a lot of improvement to make to regain his French form.
Scholars Mate
10g Shernazar -
Glassdrummon Racing Syndicate
He’s
had problems and hasn’t run for two years but he is back in training and will
start over hurdles in the new year with a view to going over fences later.
Scotsirish
10g Zaffaran -
Double R Stables Syndicate
Because of his
rating he’s hard to place as he isn’t quite up to competing with the big boys in
Grade 1s, so we decided to try the cross-
Secant Star
5g Passing Sale -
E Duignan
Showed plenty of ability in his
juvenile hurdle year but was pulled up at Punchestown in December. He’d fractured
his pelvis and needed plenty of time to recover. He is back in pre-
Sergent Guib’s
5g Califet -
Mrs S Ricci
A nice type who we got from France
where he won over hurdles at Pau. He had to miss last season and will be running
in staying hurdles, with fences on hold until next season
Shakervilz
8g Villez -
Mrs J M Mullins
Useful in staying hurdles
a few seasons back and surprised us a bit in his novice chase season when his two
wins came over shorter trips. He was off for a year before running in the Irish Grand
National and, in view of his long absence, he did well to finish seventh. He didn’t
build on that run at the Punchestown festival, possibly because of the bounce factor.
He likes plenty of cut in the ground and he will run in staying hurdles and handicap
chases. He ran very well when third in a 3 mile grade 2 at Leopardstown at Christmas.
Sicilian Secret
8g Flemensfirth -
Mrs S Ricci
He’s always shown
more than he’s produced on the track. He has won a couple over hurdles and we gave
him a break after he won at Ballinrobe in July to sort out a few problems. The plan
is to go novice chasing and he’s the type who could do well at that game.
Simenon
4g Marju -
Nick Peacock
He won a couple of races, over 7f and 1m,
for Andrew Balding and has a rating of 95 on the Flat. He will go novice hurdling
for Nick Peacock, a new client of ours. He had his first run for us in Fairyhouse
but the ground was too soft for his liking that day. He then showed great improvement
in jumping to win easily at Cork. He will now go for a winners novice hurdle over
the minimum and should improve further when the ground dries out.
Sin Palo
7g Dushyantor -
Down The Hatch Syndicate
Won a bumper on good
going at Killarney this summer and ran second over 2m6f on his hurdling debut on
testing ground at Punchestown. He’ll be running in staying novice hurdles and while
he coped with heavy he might prefer better ground. A big galloping type, he should
make into a nice chaser. He was very disappointing last time but we hope to get him
back on track before long.
Sir Des Champs
5g Robin Des Champs -
Gigginstown House Stud
Should
be an exciting recruit to the novice chasing ranks. He stays well and showed that
when coming from well off the pace to win the Martin Pipe Conditionals Hurdle under
my nephew Emmett at the festival. He seems to handle most types of ground and we’re
looking forward to a good campaign. He won his beginners chase impressively at Fairyhouse
and we will now aim him towards the better class novice chases.
Skorcher
7g Flemensfirth -
Sean O’Driscoll
An out-
Soll
6g Presenting -
Derrick Mossop
A fine big horse who won a 3m novice
hurdle by ten lengths at Newcastle on his only start last season when trained by
John Quinn. He’s a nice prospect for staying novice chases and should do well for
his owner-
Some Target
7g Witness Box -
Captain Conflict Syndicate
Won the
3m4f Grand National Trial at Punchestown last season and will campaign in long-
Sous Les Cieux
5g Robin Des Champs – Joie De La Vie
Mrs S Ricci
We got him in France where he won a bumper and fancied him to win on his debut for us at Fairyhouse in January when he finished second in a 2m4f maiden hurdle. Our first reaction was disappointment but he came back with a stress fracture and needed plenty of rest. He won a maiden hurdle easily over two and a half miles at Fairyhouse. We took a chance dropping him back in trip last time and he won again against top opposition. He was third in the grade 1 novice hurdle at Leopardstown at Christmas.
So Young
5g Lavirco -
Mrs M McMahon
We will keep him hurdling rather than
go novice chasing. He did well last season, winning his first two starts impressively
before a third in the Neptune Investment Management Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham.
It can be a tough game for a young second-
Strain Of Fame
5g King’s Theatre -
T I Naughton
He’s a half-
Super Sonic Boom
4g Azamour -
Mrs S Ricci
A winner as a two-
Supreme Carolina
4f Tradionally -
Supreme Horse Racing Club
She surprised us
in winning easily on her debut at Listowel in September as we had doubts about how
she would handle the testing ground. She went on to finish second to the smart mare
Missunited in a winners race at Punchestown and finished fifth in the bumper at Cheltenham.
She then ran alright at Navan but that may have come too soon after her race at Cheltenham.
She will be going over hurdles before long.
Sweet My Lord
5g Johann Quatz -
Aiden Devaney
He lost confidence
jumping when he fell on two of his three starts over 2m two seasons back. We stepped
him up in trip last season and he won over 2m3f at Limerick. He seems to jump better
over middle distances when the pace is that bit slower and he will stay hurdling
over those sort of trips. He ran out a nice winner over two and a half miles at Cork
and then finished a good fourth in the Pertemps qualifier over 3 miles at Leopardstown.
He will be entered in the final at Cheltenham.
Tarla
5m Lavirco -
Mrs S Ricci
She’s had problems and hasn’t run since
winning a Grade 3 mares hurdle on her
first start for us at the Punchestown festival in 2010.
She’s back in training and we’re looking at middle-
Tawaagg
7g Kyllachy -
E Duignan
Has won over hurdles, fences
and on the Flat. He ran well in two Flat handicaps recently. We will concentrate
on some of the better handicap hurdles and it’s not certain he will go back over
fences. He finished second in the MCR Hurdle at Leopardstown in 2010 and that race
will be a target again.
Tennis Cap
4g Snow Cap -
Mrs Violet O’Leary
He’s different to the usual type Archie and Violet O’Leary buy as he looks more a
hurdler than chaser. He ran second in a bumper in France and ran well when finishing
third at Navan. We are not sure that he likes heavy ground and maybe he will improve
when the ground dries out in the spring. He ran a good race when third at Fairyhouse
even though he ran very free. We might change tactics next time.
Terminal
4g Passing Sale -
Favourite Syndicate
A nice horse who ran fourth
in an all-
Theleze
4f Lavirco -
Alan Potts
She won a bumper over 1m4f at Deauville
and was placed over hurdles in France before we got her. She was a bit disappointing
when third at Limerick and then fourth at Leopardstown over Christmas.
The Midnight Club
10g Flemensfirth – Larry’s Peach
Mrs S Ricci
OR 149c
He was sent off
favourite for this year’s Grand National but made a bad mistake at the first open
ditch and his jumping for the rest of the race lacked confidence. He did well to
finish sixth. Aintree will again be the target and he will run in some of the better
staying handicap chases, including the Thyestes in which he was a close second last
season. He found the track too sharp in Tramore on New Year ’s Day but the run will
have helped his confidence.
The Paparazzi Kid
4g Milan -
Byerley Thoroughbred Racing
A brother to
Rourke’s Cross who has won a bumper and been placed over hurdles for Charlie Swan
this season. He’s a nice type and won his bumper impressively first time out at Navan
Turban
4g Dom Alco -
Edward O’Connell
A fine big horse, he looks a chasing
type down the line. He won a maiden hurdle at Thurles and then disappointed at Navan.
He was just touched off in Tramore at the end of December and we hope to get him
back on track soon.
Tusa Eire
5g Turtle Island -
Monread Stud
He won his bumper on testing ground
before failing to make any impact on good ground in the Grade 1 bumpers at the Cheltenham
and Punchestown festivals. He’s in pre-
Twigline
4f Martaline -
Hammer & Trowel Syndicate
She belongs to the boys
who own Quevega and Thousand Stars and is another French import.
She won a bumper over 1m2f in France last year and goes novice hurdling.
She is a hard filly to train and won’t be out until late in the season.
Twinlight
4g Muhtathir -
M L Bloodstock Ltd
He was in contention on
his debut over fences at Thurles when he fell three out. We’ll pursue chasing with
him and if he gets his act together he should do well at 2m. If it doesn’t work he
can go back to hurdling. He has had a training setback won’t run until the spring.
We will decide then if he runs over hurdles or goes back over fences.
Uncle Junior
10g Saddlers Hall -
Mrs M McMahon
A dour stayer who
won a 3m6f handicap at the Punchestown festival in May. He ran third in the Munster
National but we decided to try the cross-
Up Ou That
6g Alderbrook -
Edward O’Connell
He did it the hard way from
the front when he won his bumper quite easily at Naas and is a very promising young
horse. He looks a proper racehorse and will stick to bumpers for the remainder of
this season.
Ut De Sivola
3g Robin Des Champs -
Philip Reynolds
He ran second over 1m4f on
the Flat in France and is a compact sort. He was quite impressive on nearly untraceable
ground at Clonmel. He should improve a lot and we will find out more when he is upped
in grade next time.
Vast Consumption
8m Rudimentary -
Michael F O’Neill
She had a setback
and ran only once last season but won a 2m handicap on heavy at Clonmel two years
ago. We were delighted with her win at Tramore on New Year ’s Day over 2m 5f. She
will stay further and will be better when the ground dries out in the spring.
Vesper Bell
5g Beneficial -
C C R Racing Syndicate
He beat Aupcharlie by
a neck on heavy first time out at Fairyhouse before a fourth on quicker ground at
the Punchestown festival. He’s a strong individual who will be a chaser but it will
be staying novice hurdles this season.
Wrong Way Corrigan
3g Broadway Flyer -
Mrs C M Hurley
Brother to his
owner-
Zadarska
6g Zagreb -
Festival Syndicate
He’s run in five bumpers and his
best came last time when third on good ground at Cork in August. He’s had a break
and is just back in training. We might try another bumper but he’s likely to go hurdling.
Zaidpour
5g Red Ransom -
Mrs S Ricci
Looked a tremendous prospect on his
first two starts for us when winning his maiden hurdle and the Grade 1 Royal Bond
Novice Hurdle, both by 12 lengths. He failed to win again although placed in a Grade
1 and he went off the boil. It is possible he prefers right-
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Un Atout
br g 2008 Robin Des Champs -
Gigginstown House Stud
He did it the hard way from the front when he won his bumper quite easily at Naas and is a very promising young horse. He looks a proper racehorse and will stick to bumpers for the remainder of this season.
