Henry de Bromhead

A Plus Tard

7yo b g (3213/212-1)

Target: Savills Chase

He was brilliant at Haydock. I didn’t expect a performance like that from him. He jumped brilliant and Rachael was brilliant on him. He is a very classy horse and is one of the few to have beaten Chacun Pour Soi over two miles, so he has a lot of class. He was brilliant in the Savills last year and it’s amazing to think that he is still only seven. There will be lots of good horses in the race but we are looking forward to running him.

Envoi Allen

7yo b g (/111F-P16)

Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase

The plan is for him to go for the two-mile race. He seems in good form, and it is quick enough turnaround after the John Durkan, but he seems well at home – all his checks after Punchestown have come back clear. He was so impressive at Down Royal when he went a real good gallop, so we’ll drop him back in trip. He has a lot of class, and he jumps well at speed, so we’ll try this and see how he gets on.

Quilixios

4yo b g (1/1111-72)

He is in the Matheson and the Dornan Engineering Hurdle at Leopardstown, but he also has the option of the four-year-old hurdle at Limerick, and we are leaning towards going there, but we’ll confirm that closer to the time. He’s in good form and the Limerick race is a Grade 2, so it is a nice option for him.

Bob Olinger

6yo b g (11/2111-1)

He is in great form, and he has lots of options over Christmas, but we are looking at skipping Christmas with him and heading to Punchestown on January 16th. He is in great form, and we are looking forward to getting him out again, but I’d say it’s more likely that he’ll wait for Punchestown.

Mr Incredible

5yo b g (221-12)

He was a little bit disappointing at Newbury, but before then he won a good beginners’ chase at Naas. He is a nice horse and if anything, he just lacks a bit of experience. He won his maiden hurdle very impressively at Naas last year on soft ground. We were considering the Faugheen Novice Chase at Limerick but decided not to declare him so we’ll wait now and decide on whether to go to Leopardstown for the Neville Hotels Novice Chase.

Enda Bolger

Champagne Platinum

7yo gr g (37/3250-8)

He is in the Paddy Power alongside Birchdale and we were delighted to get both of them. It was either this race or the Tim Duggan down at Limerick. He is in great form and he has a lot of back class so hopefully he can put his best foot forward. It’s a great pot to aim at.

Birchdale

7yo br g (36-3370)

Birchdale is in the Paddy Power and he has a lovely light weight. He’s in great form as well and has a similar profile to Champagne Platinum. We’re hopeful both can go well.

Philip Rothwell

Layla’s Daffodil

5yo b m (46-36)

She’s in very good form and she’ll go to Down Royal for the Red Mills Maiden Hurdle. She is also in a handicap hurdle at Limerick, but the Red Mills Series is brilliant and it’s a nice race to run her in. She has been off for a while, but she’s in super form and she is one that will appreciate soft ground so hopefully the rain will fall and she’ll get her conditions.

Lessaidthebetter

7yo b g (2/80-02F22)

He has been second in a few handicap hurdles and I think he’s a horse which might improve for softer ground. We wanted to run him in a handicap hurdle at Limerick on the 27th but he didn’t get in. He has an option of a handicap hurdle in Punchestown on New Year’s Eve and I’d like to think he will run well.

Feelgood Island

6yo b/br g (3F132-F50)

He ran a nice race the other day over hurdles at Navan and there is a rated chase at Limerick (27th) that he’ll go for. The ground was a shade quick for him at Navan and he’ll appreciate the slower ground in Limerick. I think he’ll run well.

Siberian Star

6yo b g (49632768432)

He ran okay the other day at Navan and we’ll see how he comes out of that but if I’m happy with him, he has the option of running in the conditional riders’ handicap chase at Leopardstown (29th).

Gavin Cromwell

Darver Star

9yo b g (13277-66F2)

We were leaning towards waiting for a two-and-a-half-mile conditions hurdle at Punchestown but we’ve decided to have a go at the Paddy Power.

He isn’t an easy horse to place over hurdles or fences but he ran well the last day at Thurles and he’s in good shape. He has a lot of weight but it’s great pot to go for and he has the class to get involved, all being well.

Flooring Porter

6yo b g (132111-PF)

Dornan Engineering Christmas Hurdle

He’ll go for the Grade 1 three-mile hurdle, the race he won last year. Danny Mullins schooled him last week and that went well, and he didn’t feel any effects of his fall at Navan. We’re happy with him. He does it the hard way (makes the running), but he has a very big engine. Going left-handed is a big help to him, and he seems to be in great form. It won’t be easy for him this year but it’s great to have a horse like him and he was brilliant for us last season.

Vanillier

6yo gr g (21201-431)

BoyleSports Faugheen Novice Chase

He’s a big horse and he definitely wants to get his toe in, so with that in mind we decided to declare him for the Grade 1 at Limerick.

We were looking at the three-mile at Leopardstown but we weren’t sure if the ground would be soft enough. I’ve been very happy with him and he has schooled well since he won at Punchestown. He’s a Grade 2 winner this season over fences and he definitely warrants his place in a Grade 1.

Gabynako

6yo b g (1330U-5212)

Boylesports Faugheen Novice Chase

He ran very well over the two and a half miles in the Drinmore and I thought he was a shade unlucky that day. The Faugheen trip will suit him at Limerick. He schooled last Tuesday and he jumped very well.

He jumped exceptionally well when he won his beginners around Fairyhouse and overall, he jumped very well in the Drinmore, but he made that vital mistake at the last, which may have cost him the race. Both he and Vanillier have as much experience as many of the novice chasers around now and that is a help when you are running in Grade 1s.

Mouse Morris

French Dynamite

6yo b g (2512-451)

Neville Hotels Novices’ Chase

He’s in good shape and I think he’ll appreciate going three miles around Leopardstown. He was a good horse over hurdles, but he wasn’t over raced last season, and we hope that he’ll make into a nice chaser. Touch wood all is good with him.

Gentlemansgame

5yo gr g (1123-2)

Dornan Engineering Christmas Hurdle

He has a few options including the Pertemps qualifier at Leopardstown, but at the minute we are looking at the Grade 1 hurdle over three miles at Leopardstown. It will be his first run of the season. He is a lightly raced horse and he did well for us last season. He’s in good shape and we are looking forward to getting him back going again.

Dermot McLoughlin

Mr Josiey Wales

6yo b g (P1/21-34)

He had a couple of options at Limerick and Leopardstown but we declared him for Limerick (26th). He’s in good shape and he’s super consistent and rarely runs a bad race. He has given his owners great sport and I’m happy with him and I think he’ll run well. The track and ground didn’t really suit him the last day, so hopefully the rain arrives for him, and I thought Limerick might just suit him better

Opposites Attract

7yo b g (322420-P)

He was pulled up the last day at Cheltenham, but he seems fine, and he remains a novice over fences, so he’ll probably go to Leopardstown for a beginners’ chase on the 28th. The novice chase division is very hot, but he’s rated 134 and he has picked up plenty of experience already over fences and that should stand to him.

Freewheelin Dylan

9yo b g (1F5981-46U)

He will more than likely run over hurdles around Christmas/New Year. There are a few options for him and then we’ll give him a break and freshen him up for Fairyhouse and/or Aintree.

I thought he was running well in the cross country chase the last day at Cheltenham until he unseated Ricky. He’s in great shape and hopefully he’ll run somewhere over the next week or so. We might run him again before Aintree, but he doesn’t really need to, as he runs well fresh. We’ll see what way the ground is and how he is in the spring, but he has been a brilliant horse for us.