Horse_amp_amp_Hound__06_February_2018

NOTEBOOK...
THE Dublin Racing Festival may be a destination in itself but it also
highlighted some of the exciting Irish prospects for the “away match”
in the Cotswolds in March.
One imagines Footpad (pictured) will be an Irish banker in the
Arkle after making all the running in the Grade One Frank Ward
Solicitors Arkle Novice Chase.
Ironically, the best of the British seems to be Alan King’s Sceau
Royal — who is also owned by Simon Munir and Isaac Souede.
However, there won’t be many that can match Footpad this side of
the Irish Sea — or indeed Petit Mouchoir, who finished runner-up.
The latter kept up with Footpad for much of the way, but didn’t jump
as well, however, he stayed on, which might be in his favour up the
Cheltenham hill. Footpad, on the other hand, does not jump like
a novice and barely breaks stride to jump.
“He jumps like a stag,” said jockey Paul Townend. “You’d swear
he has been jumping fences all his life. It was a great thrill riding
him — he was deadly.”
Meanwhile, the Henry de Bromhead-trained Monalee made all and
jumped like a proverbial buck under Noel Fehily to win the Grade One
Flogas Novice Chase by three-quarters of a length. He had fallen on
his previous start but you would never have known it.
There was a lot to like about his performance, aside from his
jumping, which will win him plenty of races. It looked like five or
six horses might have swamped him at the last, but Fehily had kept
a bit up his sleeve.
As the runner-up in last year’s Albert Bartlett, he should figure
prominently in this year’s RSA Chase at the Festival.
“The horse had a bad fall at Christmas and it
ONES TO
WATCH
took him a week to get over it but he’s hardy,” said de
Bromhead, who is a great advocate of loose schooling.
“To come straight back into a Grade One was throwing
him in the deep end but it is testament to the horse.”
him — the horse will go to
Cheltenham as the odds-on
favourite for the Ballymore
Novices’ Hurdle with the Irish
economy probably riding on him.
It will be no surprise if the
trainers of horses with decent
chances in the two-and-a-half
mile Ballymore think again about
whether the Supreme or Albert
Bartlett might be a more winnable
option, because if Samcro turns
up there will only be one winner.
At Leopardstown and over two
miles, he never came out of first
gear cruising to the smoothest
of wins by five lengths and
maintaining his 100% record —
one point-to-point, three bumpers
and now three hurdles victories.
“He’s going the right way,” said
O’Leary, who does not care much
for hurdle races. “He’s still not
Jesus Christ but hopefully he
will be when he wins a chase,
a proper race!”
Edwulf heads for a fairytale success in the Grade One Irish Gold Cup
Pictures by Steve Davies/Racingfotos.com and PA Images
8 February 2018 Horse & Hound 65