Musta Lovea Lovea

(Oliver McKiernan)

Naas, February 10th

He has been frustrating to follow to this point but a first win is surely on the cards before long for the Oliver McKiernan-trained Musta Lovea Lovea. The four-time runner-up finished second again when finding only Glen Kiln too good in a two-mile-and-three-furlong maiden hurdle at Naas last Saturday, a race sponsored by the trainer’s Cavan Developments and one that he won with the talented Meet And Greet in 2022. He traded as short as 1/3 here and it’s obviously not enticing that he has been turned over after taking the lead late, but it looks as though the bare two miles is his trip, likely when getting a strong pace to run at. The form of his previous third to Slade Steel and King Of Kingsfield over the minimum distance is clearly smart and he’s not dependent on ground as heavy as what he faced last weekend. (MB)

Claude Du Val

(Barry Connell)

Navan, February 11th

Barry Connell is building a smart team of youngsters and there was definite promise to be gleaned from the debut effort of Claude Du Val when third in a maiden hurdle over just shy of two miles at Navan last Sunday. The six-year-old by Masked Marvel was picked up for €54,000 as a store and has been afforded plenty of time by connections. Ridden down the inner behind the leaders, he’ll have learned plenty from this and looks as though he needs further on the evidence of his staying-on effort here. He was taking on some more experienced types, including battle-hardened flat performers, but it was eyecatching how he stuck to the task so well. He looks useful and should win a maiden hurdle in due course. (MB)

Pastorale

(Henry de Bromhead)

Navan, February 11th

The future looks bright for Pimlico Racing Ireland’s mare Pastorale, who continues to go the right way for Henry de Bromhead. Backing up a decent listed third to Birdie Or Bust and Fun Fun Fun at Thurles, she ran with plenty of credit when second to Brighterdaysahead in the Listed Apple’s Jade Mares Novice Hurdle at Navan. The winner of this two-mile-and-five-furlong contest was in a league of her own and didn’t appear to be doing much in front, but there was a touch of quality about how this five-year-old went through the race and she ran as well as could have been expected in the circumstances. Depending on how the handicapper assesses her, she could be one for a nice mares’ handicap hurdle this spring. Her trainer has successfully targeted Cheltenham’s mares-only card in April and she might be a lively one for something there if connections pursue that avenue. Regardless, she looks a promising sort. (MB)

Clear The Clouds

(Gavin Cromwell)

Navan, February 11th

What looked a wide-open handicap hurdle at Navan on Sunday turned out to be much more exciting than many would have expected given the late market move for runner-up Full Noise. Making his first start for Katy Brown, the horse who was once disqualified when winning for David Dunne due to his involvement in the Ronan McNally case attracted strong market support very close to the off - backed from 33/1 to 9/1 in the closing minutes. Brown was cautioned over Full Noise’s late arrival into the parade ring due to the application of a tongue-tie. The gamble came unstuck when Full Noise finished a fine second to Aodhan May, who had caught the eye previously for Charles Byrnes, so the form has an overall strong look for the grade. With that in mind, and the fact he faced ground that is much more testing than he probably wants in an ideal world, Clear The Clouds can be considered a likely future winner in a similar grade this spring/summer. For good measure, he was hampered at the last. A 2lb rise shouldn’t stop him in the right circumstances. (MB)

Galvin

(Gordon Elliott)

Navan, February 11th

What a good run Galvin put up when fourth to Hiddenvalley Lake in the Grade 2 Boyne Hurdle at Navan on Sunday. In a steadily run contest, it wouldn’t have been surprising at all if he faded backwards when the taps turned on in the straight but he was able to pick up and box on, showing plenty of guts on the run in, on ground he surely wouldn’t have liked, to finish just five lengths off the winner. This was easily his best effort of the season after a couple of runs over the Cross Country course at Cheltenham earlier in the campaign. He was well held on both of those starts, but had to concede plenty of weight, something he won’t have to do when he returns to the Festival next month. He was second to Delta Work, who finished well back behind him on Sunday, in the Cross Country at the Festival last season but he was racing on heavy ground there. He can clearly handle that surface but it’s significant that 12 of his 13 wins have come on ground described as yielding or better. (RG)

Joke Dancer

(Patrick Griffin)

Thurles, February 13th

The Patrick Griffin team have a big spring to look forward to with Roi Mage, but they also have a likely winner on their hands in Joke Dancer, who ran an encouraging race when third on his first start since joining from Sue Smith. Returning from 273 days off, the 11-year-old by Authorized shaped as though he’d come forward for the run but jumped and travelled with real enthusiasm in an extended-two-mile handicap chase. A mark of 97 clearly looks workable if there is improvement to come from this. He was rated 141 once upon a time and 129 at the beginning of last season in Britain. (MB)

Stickman

(Terence O’Brien)

Clonmel, February 15th

In today’s Big Interview, Terence O’Brien, mentioned his gelding Stickman as something of a frustrating sort given the level ability he shows at home compared to the track but the six-year-old took another step in the right direction when third to the useful Undeniable Alibi in a two-mile maiden hurdle at Clonmel on Thursday. The son of Elusive Pimpernel was always prominent and came clear with both the winner and runner-up Whatsyourproblem in the straight, only giving way to those two after the last. This was only his second run over hurdles and an improvement after his useful first run - fifth to Black Bamboo at Cork. He should improve again and may well yet live up to the potential he is showing at home. (RG)

Search For Glory

(Gordon Elliott)

Clonmel, February 15th

While the form of the Grade 3 Surehaul Mercedes-Benz Novice Hurdle is questionable considering favourite Harvard Guy looked a non stayer, there was a lot to be positive about for the winner Search For Glory after his all-the-way win at Clonmel on Thursday. He looked really awkward here, jumping to his left, needing to be goaded along, and generally racing lazily, but when it came to it, he picked up and went right away from Harvard Guy. Jack Kennedy reported afterwards that his mount just didn’t enjoy making the running. The Gigginstown horse should be much more at home taking a lead in the Albert Bartlett, and he has now run well in two key trials for that race, this contest and the Grade 2 at Limerick over Christmas, when he was fourth to Loughglynn, coming off a likely unsuitable steady pace. His proven stamina and class at the trip should hold him in good stead at Cheltenham and best odds of 25/1 look appealing, though he may be an even bigger price on the day. (RG)