BENATAR (IRE)

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Beneficial – Carrigeen Lily (Supreme Leader)

Karen McNeilly

A first runner and a first winner for northern handler Karen McNeilly, and an emphatic one at that, as the Beneficial gelding, who also carried her colours to success, ran out a wide-margin winner at Loughbrickland last month.

Easing his way to the front along the back straight, the well-bred bay gelding, who is out of a four-time winner over fences, continued to pick up on the climb into the home straight to clock a time 14 seconds faster than the day’s average. The runner-up, a €38,000 store purchase and the third a €43,000 foal, both represented leading four-year-old yards this season, those of Shark Hanlon and Denis Murphy, which gives plenty of depth to the horses who chased him home, albeit 15 lengths in arrears. Lovely Schtuff and Largy Prospect, the final two horses to complete, and beaten in excess of 30 lengths, both finished second in respective big field divisions at Lingstown last Sunday on their very next start. This is a race and performance worth taking very seriously into the future.

CLONDAW CASTLE (IRE)

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Oscar – Lohort Castle (Presenting)

Michael Goff

Well-fancied by connections ahead of his debut at Horse & Jockey when coming down at the final fence behind subsequent bumper third Caderyn last March, the son of Oscar returned from his summer break to run out a clear-cut winner on his seasonal reappearance at Glenbane last month.

In what was a steadily run contest throughout much of the early stages, with a host of horses holding leading chances approaching the home straight, Shane Fitzgerald always appeared confident aboard the Catriona Goff-owned bay gelding, who readily quickened-up once being asked to put the race to bed. Out of a Galway bumper winner, who has already bred a bumper winner, his pedigree suggest he should be seen to better effect over shorter trips. He is a very sharp type who should be easily up to winning a bumper this season.

COOL GETAWAY (IRE)

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Getaway – Coolnacarriga (Saddlers’ Hall)

Stuart Crawford

Cool Getaway was one of the undoubted stars of the autumn four-year-old campaign and was deeply impressive in what looked liked one of the strongest maidens run all season at Tattersalls Farm. Out of a half-sister to the Irish National winner Shutthefrontdoor, this son of Getaway was heavily backed ahead of his debut in a very competitive looking race. Produced to hit the front at the penultimate fence, he quickened clear and had plenty left in the tank to overcome a final fence error, yet return comfortably clear of his rivals.

The runner-up, King Of Kilmeague, who cost €45,000 as a yearling, is an exciting sort in his own right who subsequently fetched £150,000 at the Cheltenham December Sale; the third horse is well-bred out of a half-sister to Time For Rupert and the fourth cost €38,000 as a three-year-old. Connections had every reason to suggest that this was the best horse they had for quite some while given his exceptional debut and he has since been bought by Mags O’Toole for £305,000 and is expected to rise to a very high level on the track.

FABULOUS SAGA (FR)

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Saint Des Saints – Fabalina (Dear Doctor)

Michael Goff

Like Legal Ok, who also features in this list, enterprising riding tactics saw Fabulous Saga establish a clear advantage over his rivals at Borris, as he raced upwards of 30 lengths clear of his rivals early on the final circuit, and although he did see his advantage whittled back somewhat inside the final half a mile, such was the advantage which he had gained earlier in the race, he was able to return clear by 10 lengths on the bridle. It takes a very capable horse to set out under such riding tactics, setting a strong gallop, and to see out the race with great conviction, which he certainly did.

This French-bred son of Fabulous Saga gallops for fun and it would be no surprise to see him follow-up in a bumper in the coming months.

FINIANS OSCAR (IRE)

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Oscar – Trinity Alley (Taipan)

Denis Murphy

Given that he is out of a half-sister to the 2012 Champion Chase winner Finians Rainbow, it was unsurprising that Finians Oscar cost €50,000 as a three-year-old at the Derby Sale. That proved to be money well spent as he was sold for £250,000 at the Cheltenham November Sale after his emphatic debut success at Portrush, in a performance of the highest order. Clocking an eye-catching time 11 seconds faster than the day’s average, something which is not easily achieved on good ground, he picked up very smartly off a searching gallop to account for his nine rivals easily.

That was no fluke performance as the Oscar gelding ran out a wide-margin winner of a novices’ hurdle for his new trainer Colin Tizzard on Monday, just 58 days after his debut point success. Tizzard was not hesitant to lavish praise on the highly exciting sort, describing him as the “best young horse” that he currently has in training. He is a name to follow very closely in the coming seasons.

LEGAL OK (IRE)

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Echo Of Light – Desert Trail (Desert Style)

David Harry Kelly

The circumstances of Legal Ok’s Dromahane success last month can certainly be described as extraordinary, as the son of Echo Of Light was allowed to race clear of the field from an early stage under a very enterprising ride by Pa King, which saw him jump the third last before his 11 rivals had even entered the home straight. While the chasing group attempted to reduce the deficit inside the closing stages, it was in vain, as Legal Ok remained a fence clear up the home straight, ultimately prevailing by a distance. Performances such as this are always difficult to assess given how the race was run but he must be given the utmost respect for achieving a very notable time on good ground and maintaining this effort without any assistance.

Rathnure Rebel secured his maiden point success at the same venue in circumstances resembling this back in 2014, and his recent wide-margin success in a Grade 3 novice hurdle proves that it does take a classy sort to achieve such a feat. Two maiden winners have also emerged from behind Legal Ok to give further depth to the race.

MINELLAFORDOLLARS (IRE)

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King’s Theatre – Another Dollar (Supreme Leader)

Denis Murphy

Minellafordollars really shaped with plenty of promise at Lingstown last Sunday when defeating a big field in good style. Once easing his way to the front approaching the penultimate fence, in a race which was run to a true gallop, the well-bred King’s Theatre gelding was always maintaining his advantage over his nearest pursuers. However, what was most impressive about this success, was the manner in which he quickened clear after jumping the final fence to win going away by eight lengths. As expected from a horse carrying the Minella name, he is a well-bred sort who has the pedigree behind him to train into a very smart track performer.

POLI ROI (FR)

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Poliglote – Belle Du Roi (Adieu Au Roi)

Denis Murphy

Poli Roi is a well-bred individual who really could go all the way to the top on the evidence of his most impressive debut at Rockfield last month. Despite having his momentum checked, notably when caught tight for room as the tempo of the race picked up exiting the back straight, the French-bred overcame that trouble in running with remarkable ease, to regain all lost positions quickly and even overcame signs of greenness once going on in between the final two fences, to win going away by a wide margin.

Mags O’Toole and Gordon Elliott were clearly very impressed by the performance, as they went to £300,000 at the Cheltenham November Sale to secure the son of Poliglote and he is a name who should be making headlines in the coming seasons.

SLATE HOUSE (IRE)

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Presenting – Bay Pearl (Broadway Flyer)

Ian Ferguson

Slate House made much of the running on his seasonal reappearance as he recorded one of the most impressive successes of the season, defeating a field containing a number of very well-bred sorts by upwards of 10 lengths. Controlling the pace of the race at the head of affairs, once being sent on at the penultimate fence by Noel McParlan, the Presenting gelding quickly established an advantage, and overcame a final fence blunder to win comfortably. A €44,000 purchase as a three-year-old himself, the runner-up Ringmoylan cost €42,000 as a store, while the third fetched €52,000 at the Land Rover Sale at three. Those prices indicate the depth talent which can be found in some four-year-old maidens at present.

WARTHOG (FR)

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Martaline - Sherika (Medaaly)

Denis Murphy

With things not going his way on debut at Mainstown, Warthog was still only beaten by a length. However, he certainly proved his talent with his impressive success three weeks later when justifying market support to win eased down by 10 lengths. Always travelling powerfully, the grey gelding eased his way to the front exiting the back straight and powered clear on the run into the home straight, quickly burning off the attentions of his rivals in a big field. Jumping with real confidence, he is another well-bred sort who is out of a 10-time track winner in France; he is a horse with a high cruising speed and a big engine which will really stand to him as he progresses to the track.