Fergal O’Brien is upbeat about the Greatwood Hurdle performance of Dysart Enos, despite her unbeaten streak coming to an end with a third-placed finish.
The six-year-old was returning to action having last been seen in January, when she claimed a third successive victory over hurdles after her prior undefeated bumper career.
She was therefore regarded as a real contender for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, but a minor injury put paid to that idea and the ground then ruled her out of the Top Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree.
The Greatwood was a well-established plan for her comeback and also her handicap debut, but it was James Owen’s Burdett Road who took first place as Dysart Enos finished three and half lengths back in third with stablemate Tintintin immediately behind her.
The immediate feeling was disappointment at the defeat, but on reflection O’Brien has identified plenty of positives to take from the performance.
“Initially I suppose we were a bit disappointed, but if you look at the way the race was run we should probably be very happy,” he said. “She ran better than her mark, she might not have been as well handicapped as we thought, but she was still well handicapped on all known form.
“The winner has had a good Flat campaign since July and we’ve been off for 10 months. He beat us three and a half lengths and gave us 2lb and that (translates to) five and a half lengths. In a graded race we would be getting 7lb from him, I think on the whole it was a very good run and we’d have to be pleased. She’ll improve a bit, we’d done plenty of work with her but I was over the moon with her jumping.
“That was my one worry going into it, I didn’t know if it would find her out but she was absolutely superb and the way she travelled in the race was fantastic.”
Of Dysart Enos’ next steps, O’Brien added: “There were a lot of positives to build on, but unfortunately there isn’t a great mares’ programme over two miles.
“She’ll probably go to Ascot in December, there’s a good handicap race there, then there’s a conditions race in January back at Ascot. That would be the plan at the minute.”
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