Positives: Glenrock Leader relished the testing conditions in the 2m4f maiden hurdle and could be up to making his mark in graded company when he has his ground but his stablemate Oscar Honey [WON Clonmel 2/3 - 2/1] could be the one to take from the race. Having his first start since May, the 6yo really looked the part in the parade ring and seemed to blow up in the closing stages having looked the biggest danger to the winner entering the closing stages. He will come on a ton for this and will be hard to stop next time. In a similar event at Cork, former point-to-point winner Golden Kite [WON Limerick 26/12 - 15/8] ran a second good race in two racecourse appearances and is another whose turn won’t be long in coming.
Negatives: Not for the first time, Forest Leaves found little of the bridle in the 2m6f handicap chase and is one to oppose at a short price in-running on his next start. It has to be worrying for connections that Bridge Run has failed to get off the mark in his two chase starts to date as he’s the type to go well fresh and his trainer reports that he has run up light after hard races in the past. I’d expect his form to regress from here if returned to the track quickly and with his jumping hardly brilliant he’s not one to be with next time. Mick The Man has one of the worst head carriages in racing but he never got close enough to Glenrock Leader today to throw in the towel. His second place finish today ensures he’ll be a short price next time and is one to get in-running. It's hard to get carried away with the form of the Maplewood Developments Hurdle won by Jazz Messenger with high-profile novices Clopf, Ebaziyan and Bob's Pride being particularly disappointing. It's highly doubtful that there was a Champion Hurdle winner in the field and if such a horse was seen today, then surely it was Sizing Europe.
Pointers: The form of the maiden hurdle won by O’Hana at Galway on October 29th received two significant boosts at Cork when the second and third won their respective contests. Willie Mullins’ 5yo has a fine record with cut (form figures:411) and figures to be a major player in all those graded mares’ novice hurdles. Noel Meade is having a spectacular time of things with his bumper horses and took both the Punchestown and Cork contests this weekend. With such strength, it appears significant that he took Chateau d’Eau to Cheltenham for the listed bumper. The 4yo was withdrawn before that event was abandoned so probably doesn’t want heavy ground but I suspect he’s the best of the Castletown bumper team. Cork’s 2m4f beginners’ chase looked a hot event with the front three in the market pulling well clear of the remainder. The third, Tom Taaffe’s Finger Onthe Pulse [WON Cheltenham - 13/3/08 - 9/1] , has always been thought of as a chaser and he did very well to finish so close as he’s never been at his best going right-handed. His left-handed form figures read:1213111U and would be a strong fancy next at a track like Navan or Naas, whatever the opposition.
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