16th November – Clonmel Review (AW)

16th November – Clonmel

Going; Heavy (Times support)

She’s Supersonic landed her first handicap hurdle on her second start for Tony Martin. She had run at Cork a month previous and had obviously come on for the run. With Ruby Walsh booked it was clear that they had probably had her fitter. The performance was very reasonable and Tony Martin may be able to get another win or two out of her if she is potentially improved under his care. Premier Hero being back in fourth firms up the idea that this was a fair performance.

Ruby Walsh then took the next aboard the progressive Le Toscan. This was a good performance and the winner found it all too easy to pick them up and cruise clear. His future will almost certainly lie over fences but in the meantime he is clearly an improved performer and one that I will be following closely. A lot will depend upon how they select his engagements, and connections will almost certainly up him in class from now on. Well Run probably showed the level he is at here in terms of ability. The winner held him with relative ease and for the time being I’d imagine the second will be looking for a similar engagement.

Sir Oj put in a really gutsy performance in what turned into a competitive looking finish rounding the home turn. Kill Devil Hill should have possibly put the race to bed, yet the brave winner got back up to deny him on the line. After setting a fairly stready pace for most of the race Sir Oj looked to be struggling on the ground and his jumping also lacked fluency. Kill Devil Hill was making his seasonal debut and looks to be as good, if not better this year. He will almost certainly be well fancied next time out after this.

The next race was all set to be a really great one to watch for me. I’d be toying with backing Gazza’s Girl and Cailin Alainn from the night before. The winner Cailin Alainn I’d been waiting to see again for over a month, whilst Gazza’s had been one that had I’d been similarly excited to follow. As it happened I had a power cut and missed the race totally. Watching it back, Gazza’s was going as well as the rest until putting in a short one, but it’s virtually impossible to know what she would have done at the end of the race. Meanwhile Cailin Alainn, confirmed the nice opinion I had of her and will now tackle the opposite sex after picking up the black type they were aiming for. This was a good performance and on better ground in even better company the winner may provide some value along the line, whilst I will be looking forward to seeing where they go with Gazza’s Girl next time out.

Wearing first time cheekpieces, City Of Sails gained only his second win over hurdles in the handicap race. Quite highly tried, the winner has never been the best of runners to rely on, but this was an improved display whilst the performance was average for the standard of race. I’d imagine a similar race could be on the cards and to be fair, even though far from the most consistent of runners, if the cheekpieces have worked the oracle then connections could have a slightly well handicapped runner on their hands for the time being.

Similar comments can be applied to the winner of the handicap chase, Giolla De, who seemed to be well in and performed accordingly. He too should be unexposed and if the handicapper is not too hard then it’s all about where connections send him. I’d be inclined to keep him to this grade and wrack up a couple more wins, whilst they may step him up slightly in sight of landing a bigger prize whilst possibly still unexposed. Far More Serious must have a race in him when Charlie Swan’s stable is in better form.