Joe Chambers, racing manager to owner Susannah Ricci, takes us through their festive team and hopes for the new year.
FAUGHEEN
All has been good with him and Willie identified the Matchbook Betting Exchange Novices’ Chase at Limerick as his Christmas target following his beginners’ chase win at Punchestown in November.
He jumped pretty well there save for one mistake down the back which has been well highlighted, although I don’t think it was as bad as it looked. What was more impressive for us was when they swung into the home straight how quickly he came back on the bridle and then quickened away.
It’s going to be very testing ground at Limerick, it’s already heavy and then there’s a further ten to 12 millimetres of rain forecast Christmas night into St Stephen’s morning.
Whether he needs bottomless ground at this stage of his career I don’t know but he has handled it very well in the past. Samcro is in there and he was travelling ominously well before tipping up in the Drinmore and it looks to be a wonderful clash for all racing enthusiasts.
I wouldn’t dismiss Castlebrook on the very testing ground either having run very well behind Getabird at Gowran Park and it’s a cracking race.
How Faugheen saw out his race the last day gives us lots of hope that when push comes to shove up the home straight at Limerick he’ll be well up to the task.
ANTEY
He’s best known for providing Katie Walsh with her retirement winner at Punchestown.
A combination of a minor setback and the prevailing fast ground meant we didn’t get to see him last year and he needed the run very badly in the same beginners’ chase at Faugheen won but still ran well to a point.
Hopefully he’ll come forward for that and while his jumping technique over a fence isn’t what you’d call natural, he’ll learn with experience. We might well go up in trip as the season progresses.
CHACUN POUR SOI
It’s very hard to tell who exactly will line up against him at Leopardstown, at the time of writing Willie has seven of the 14 entries.
Cialos Emery has had two runs this season and would be a danger to all and Hardline proved to be our nemesis at this time of year before, beating Getabird in the Grade One at Limerick 12 months ago.
However, we have been delighted with Chacun this season and have had a clear run with him. Hopefully that will continue. We always thought he had a lot of ability but had to wait three years to see it in public.
Ruby sat on him after racing at Punchestown recently and was very happy with him and all has gone to plan so far. What he needs is a clear run. It’s exciting to have him back.
LIVELOVELAUGH
He showed up really well in the Randox Health Grand National in April, appearing to take to the fences well before weakening from two out.
He was second to OO Seven at the Punchestown Festival, making a clumsy mistake at the last. We were unsure last year what his trip was, we think three miles suits him well now. He prefers better ground – and the chase track is better than the hurdles track at the moment at Leopardstown.
I can see him running very well in the Paddy Power Chase. If Any Second Now stays in he has a very nice racing weight and he can outrun his odds.
BENIE DES DIEUX
Missed her intended assignment in the Hatton’s Grace due to a pulled muscle in the week running up to Fairyhouse. This three mile hurdle is the next logical target for her. She’s unbeaten for us when she’s stood up and it’s a record we’d be keen to preserve.
She has proven stamina is no issue to her when winning the French Champion Hurdle over three miles and a furlong and that small setback aside, we’ve had a good run with her. We’re very much looking forward to getting her back. She’ll probably follow a similar path to last term for the rest of the season.
SHARJAH
He won this race last year with Patrick on board and he has struck up an excellent relationship with the horse. He was brought down in the Champion Hurdle last year and going into that we felt he was in really good order.
We were disappointed with his run in the Morgiana on his return, given the way the race was run it should have suited him. However, maybe he needed the run more than we thought at the time and his work in the past ten days has been good.
Providing the ground doesn’t get too soft he should give a good account in the Matheson Hurdle and we can make plans from there.
OTHER ENTRIES
FIGAROC
He’s had one run in a conditions hurdle in May in France, finishing second. He’s a very striking horse who appears to have plenty of ability. He’s eligible for bumpers in Ireland but not the UK and has had a few entries over recent weeks. He’s one we’re very excited by.
EDEN FLIGHT
Disappointed us hugely on his debut at Navan last month. We think he has improved an awful lot since then and hopefully he can take a step forward from that run next time although he needs to.
ANNAMIX
A talking horse over the last couple of years, he has flattered to deceive somewhat. However, we’re looking forward to sending him chasing but as he prefers better ground, he might be one for the spring.
FRANCIN
A horse that we’ve had for some time. He was third in a maiden hurdle at the Leopardstown Christmas meeting in 2017. He reappeared at Navan last month after a spell out and travelled well to a point, if a little keen. Hopefully like some of our other runners he can improve significantly for a first run.
AIONE
He’s a horse we’ve been waiting some time for, initially having acquired him after winning a point-to-point in May 2017.
To win his bumper first time up at Punchestown last month was very pleasing, travelling well and galloping on strongly to the line. He’s a staying chaser in the making however he should be able to make his mark over hurdles before that and we’re looking forward to seeing him start over timber.
SALSARETTA
Has an entry in the Grade One three mile novice chase at Leopardstown on the 29th. She’s a mare that we’ve always liked but last year, following her impressive reappearance win over subsequent Grade One winner Felix Desjy, her season somewhat tailed off.
However, she seems a much stronger and happier mare this time around and was quite eye-catching when winning her novice chase at Punchestown last month. She has a preference for soft ground and whether we want to step up to three miles at this stage of the season I wouldn’t know.
There are races for her at Punchestown on New Year’s Eve and at Thurles early in the 2020 too. She has plenty of options.
JON SNOW
Ran very well in what looks now to have been a very strong maiden hurdle at Cork in mid-November.
He finished third to Front View and Uhtred, who subsequently won a Listed bumper at Navan. Jon Snow jumped and travelled very well until fitness gave out in the home straight and we’re expecting him to have come forward for that run and are looking forward to seeing him again.
Patrick Mullins feels an extra quarter or half a mile won’t be a problem to him if we choose to go down that route.
NEW YEAR HOPES
MIN
We were delighted with his win in the John Durkan for all that his jumping that day was quite uncharacteristic. He has options in the new year such as the Kinloch Brae, Clarence House or Ascot Chase plus the Dublin Racing Festival of course.
Intermediate trips seem to be where he is putting up his best performances and there are nice races for him. We’d have loved to have gone to the King George but the gap between the John Durkan and Kempton is just too tight for us.
SALDIER
He’s been back riding out now for a couple of weeks now and we are pointing him towards the Dublin Racing Festival.
FLY SMART
Nice young horse who has been working well for us. The form of his races in France have worked out well and he appears to be this year’s social media Sky Bet Supreme darling.
We expect to see him out in the middle of January and are looking forward to seeing if he can replicate his homework on the track; unlike some of our previous Supreme social media darlings!
BAPAUME
We were delighted with his win at Naas before Christmas when he showed a great aptitude for chasing. It might be we come back further in trip to two miles with him but we’ll see. He’s one we’re very much looking forward to for the rest of the season.
TIGER TAP TAP
Finally broke his maiden tag last time having competed at the top level for much of his juvenile season. That win will do his confidence the world of good and given the level of racing experience he has, all top handicaps and graded novice hurdles will be open to him. I wouldn’t rule out a campaign on the Flat for him in the summer either.
MONKFISH
Like Bapume and Tiger Tap Tap before him, he showed the benefit of his reappearance to win a maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse impressively. He is likely to be campaigned in long distance hurdles prior to a novice chase campaign next term.
FIVE O’CLOCK
Was bitterly disappointed at Tramore albeit in atrocious conditions. He and the winner came clear of the third and hopefully we’ll see him back in the new year and he can put that run behind him.
GETABIRD
Has plenty of ability and a penchant for going solely right-handed. It’s very possible we will see him next in the Dan Moore Chase at Fairyhouse on 11th January.
