THE JUMPS season is about to get going good and proper and who better to hear from than Gordon Elliott.
The top Irish trainer is ready to rumble and the Betfair ambassador fills us in on his Fairyhouse team for Saturday.
Best Bet – Queens Brook (15:15)
13:35 Surin
At her best she is a very smart mare as she showed last season when winning a Grade 3 hurdle at Naas in good style.
Her form tailed off a bit afterwards and she was some way below her best on her last couple of runs but I’m happy to draw a line through those efforts as I know that she is capable of much better.
She’s schooled well over fences so far and seems very well in herself so I’d be hoping for a good run although I know she will improve for this outing.
14:05 Aforementioned
He won nicely at Clonmel last week and I was very happy with his display there as he jumped much better than he had previously done over fences and he won like a horse who would be able to win again over fences in the coming weeks.
I don’t think the drop down in trip will be a major concern at a good, galloping track like this and I’m expecting a good run although this is a much tougher race than the Clonmel one.
15:15 Queens Brook
She’s a very exciting mare and I hope that this will be the first step in what could be a big season for her. On her two runs for us last season she couldn’t have done any more as she bolted up in a mare bumper at Gowran before running an excellent third in the bumper at Cheltenham.
That sort of form would suggest that she could make up into a high class novice hurdler and her schooling over hurdles has gone well.
She will need this run and will come on for this first experience over hurdles but she is still entitled to take all the beating.
16:25 Mrs Davies
This mare hasn’t shown much at all since coming to us but I’m not giving up on her and I may have been getting her trip all wrong as she cut out totally over three miles at Tipperary last week having looked as though she could run quite respectably at one stage of the race.
It’s quick enough to be running her back but I’m hoping she will at least take a step forward for the drop in trip.
17:35 Calagogo
He’s a grand horse who is related to a couple of very decent horses trained by John Kiely. He shows enough at home to suggest that he will be competitive in bumpers and he’s by a sire, Doyen, who we’ve had plenty of luck with in the past.
He’ll be green enough I’d say and he is just ready to start out but I’m hoping for a solid showing.
