Three that caught the eye from last week’s racing who look destined to get off the mark for the season sooner rather than later.
Saturday – Galway 4:13
- Horse: Ataboycharlie (7yo)
- Finishing Position: 3rd
- SP: 14/1
- Trainer: Edward Cawley
Some may remember Ataboycharile for his fall at the 2024 Dublin Racing Festival when he looked set to back up his Novice Handicap Hurdle win from Stephens Day 2024 over the same course and distance. But it hasn’t been all plain sailing for this seven-year-old since that fall.
He ran three times over fences last season, where he was 26 lengths behind Grade 1 winner Ballyburn, 22 lengths behind Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase winner Lecky Watson, and 41 lengths behind Grade 1 winner Champ Kiely.
We haven’t seen Ataboycharlie since his run behind Champ Kiely on New Year’s Day, and he has been given a mark chase mark of 125 on the back of his three chase runs.
His run over the weekend at Galway was over the smaller obstacles, and that may have been used as a pipe opener for further handicap chase targets.
His trainer, Edward Cawley, is known for priming his small but select team for handicap targets, and Ataboycharlie has the right profile to exploit his mark of 125 over fences in the near future. However, don’t be surprised if they attempt to cash in on his 126 hurdle mark on the way.
He has always promised to be a horse who is better than his current mark, and this season could be a fruitful one for the son of Make Believe.
Saturday – Galway 3:03
- Horse: King’s Buck (5yo)
- Finishing Position: 4th
- SP: 10/3
- Trainer: Henry de Bromhead
A winner of his point-to-point (2nd has since won easily on hurdles debut for Henry de Bromhead), and second to the promising Ksar Fatal on his only bumper run, King’s Bucks emerged from his hurdles debut with a lot to like.
Having been installed at the 7/4 favourite the night before his hurdles debut, the Henry de Bromhead-trained five-year-old was considerably weak in the market on the lead up to the off.
He jumped well in the main and ran like a horse that would come on considerably for the run. Having made good headway down the back straight, the son of Buck’s Boom seemed to take a blow after the second last. However, he kept on well all the way to the line under hands and heels riding, eventually finishing six lengths off the winner.
There should be a lot of improvement to come from him on the back of that run, and King’s Bucks looks a shoo-in to win a maiden before going on to bigger and better things.
Sunday – Galway 1:25
- Horse: Win Some Lose Some (6yo)
- Finishing Position: 3rd
- SP: 10/1
- Trainer: Padraig Roche
This six-year-old was a winner of four of his eleven hurdle starts and was well-fancied for the Pertemps at the Cheltenham Festival last season.
Overall, he failed to live up to the expectations put on him, but a more than satisfactory round of jumping on his chase debut gives hope that he can scale new heights this season.
Jockey Aidan Kelly sat his mount in the final third of the field throughout the race and he was fifteen to twenty off the leader and eventual winner, Oscar’s Brother, coming to the second last.
Having jumped into fifth place at the back of the last, the Padraig Roche-trained six-year-old kept on well under mostly hands and heels riding, closing all the way to the line to take third place.
That was an encouraging first run over fences for Win Some Lose Some, and given that he looks a natural over his obsticals, there should be a lot more to come from this lightly raced six-year-old.
