by David Jennings
It’s not all about Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott. Other powerhouses are emerging in Irish jump racing and the string in Henry de Bromhead’s care look as strong as ever this season, with potential challengers at championship level in all divisions.
The stable star is undoubtedly unbeaten mare Honeysuckle, for whom the Mares‘ Hurdle at Cheltenham was preferred over a Champion Hurdle bid despite her victory in the Irish Champion Hurdle at Leopardstown. A guessing game may well take place once again between February and March as to her Cheltenham target.
Nowhere is De Bromhead better represented than in the staying chase division. Monalee will be back for another crack at the Gold Cup after his unlucky fourth in last season’s race. Chris’s Dream could also be in contention again having run well for such a long way in March and they will be joined by last season’s crack novice Minella Indo, who was cut down late in such extraordinary circumstances by Champ in last season’s RSA Chase but started off his season with an impressive victory at Wexford on Monday.
We cannot forget the two-mile chase division either, in which last season’s Arkle winner Put The Kettle On vividly demonstrated her love for Cheltenham. You can also add Notebook, who was the leading 2m novice chaser for almost all of last season before his defeat in the Arkle.
There are also plenty of young horses to get excited about for novice hurdle and novice chases, the principal among them being Bob Olinger, who created such an impression when winning a Gowran bumper in March.
This could well be the season when De Bromhead records his first domestic century of winners and there could be plenty more to celebrate besides that.
Race in focus
I’m really looking forward to getting Put The Kettle On back to Cheltenham next month for the Shloer Chase.
Stable profile
Yard Knockeen
Where Waterford
Started training 2000
Horses in yard 100
Members of staff 30
Managers David Roche, Emmet Raher, Cathal Connolly and Brian Scott
Travelling head lad Alan Coady
Secretaries Nicole Roche and Angelina Laiso
Jockeys Rachael Blackmore, Hugh Morgan, Daniel Holden, Dylan
Robinson, Mike O’Connor, Emma Twomey
Amateur jockeys David Roche, Barry O’Neill
Website henrydebromheadracing.com
Twitter @HenrydeBromhead
Winners in Ireland
2019-20 79
2018-19 98
2017-18 60
2016-17 68
2015-16 48
Profit/loss to €1 stake
2019-20 -€55.96
2018-19 -€20.83
2017-18 -€86.10
2016-17 -€92.87
2015-16 -€49.27
Irish prize-money in 2019-20
€2,102,615
Horses:
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | J | K | L | M | N | P | R | S | T | V | W | Z |
A Plus Tard
6yo gelding Kapgarde (sire) – Turboka (dam)
Owner: Cheveley Park Stud
Form figures: 21/3213-
Racing Post Rating: 171c Official Rating: 167c
He’s in really good form and we’ll aim him at the Fortria Chase at Navan and see how that goes. He’s fairly versatile as to trip as he won his Grade 1 over 2m at Leopardstown and then his run in the Ryanair was probably his best of last season, but we’ll start off at the shorter trip. He’s still only six, just a baby, and we are really looking forward to getting him out.
Abbey Magic
9m Beneficial – Magical Theatre
Mrs D Halley
111/21
RPR 144c OR 134c
She was brilliant at Cork earlier this month and has some black type now, which is great. She’s run five times for us and won four, and her only defeat was by her stablemate Visioman at Kilbeggan. She’s a good-ground mare and we’ll pick and choose our races on ground which suits her. She’s a top mare and getting up to the sort of mark where we might consider the new mares‘ chase at Cheltenham.
Annexation
4g Wootton Bassett – Scarlet Sonnet
South Ros Racing Syndicate
1
RPR 119h OR –
He was really good at Navan in his maiden hurdle and we were aiming for the novice hurdle at Tipperary but he wasn’t right. He seems in good form again and we might aim him at the For Auction Novice Hurdle at Navan. He handled soft ground on the Flat, although whether he’ll be as effective on it over hurdles we’ll see. We’ll feel our way with him in the autumn and if he handles soft ground we can plot our way through the winter with him.
Arvico Bleu
8g Arvico – Sharifa
Gigginstown House Stud
223F/72-
RPR 138c OR 132c
He’s a nice horse and in good form. He’s run well in a couple of good handicap chases in his time and we’ll aim him at some of the better 2m handicap chases the one at the Fairyhouse Winter Festival comes to mind. He’s nearly ready to go and will be out in the next couple of weeks.
Aspire Tower
4g Born To Sea – Red Planet
Brendan McNeill & Jonathan Maloney
11F2-
RPR 145h OR 145h
He’s in great form and working very well. We’re aiming for the WKD Hurdle at Down Royal later this week and we’ll see how that goes. He started last season brilliantly and I’m not convinced he was at his best after Christmas – he certainly didn’t look himself at Cheltenham where he he jumped badly left. He’s had a nice break and seems in great form now.
Atlantic Fairy
6m Jeremy – Tylensy
Mark E Phelan
2/3-
RPR 114h OR –
She’s a really nice mare. She was injured after her one run at Clonmel last year, but she’s back and working well. We’ll be hoping to run her in the next month to six weeks when there’s a good ease in the ground. I think she’s a real stayer and we’ll be looking for races over at least two-and-a-half miles.
Balko Des Flos
9g Balko – Royale Marie
Gigginstown House Stud
973/44-4
RPR 174c OR –
He got very sick last year and had pneumonia in January, but he came back to us in the summer and has been brilliant since. I was very happy with his run at Punchestown two weeks ago as he jumped brilliantly in third and had a really good blow afterwards. He’s entered in the Champion Chase at Down Royal this week but there’s also the Clonmel Oil Chase, so we’ll see. I know he won the Ryanair in 2018 but I’ve always felt he was more of a three-miler.
Baptism Of Fire
5g Jeremy – Julia Glynn
Gigginstown House Stud
1/55-1
RPR 123h OR –
I was very happy with his win at Punchestown two weeks ago. We went there thinking he would need the run and he did take a bit of a blow in fairness. He’ll improve for that and he looks a really nice staying prospect.
Benruben
7g Beneficial – Didinas
Due East Gone West Syndicate
2F/8-411
RPR 144c OR 138c
I’m delighted with him. He’s already had a terrific season and really battled at Roscommon, where he did well to win as he’s a lovely big horse who probably wants a galloping track and bigger fences. We’ll go for the Craddockstown Novice Chase at Punchestown and that will tell us where we stand with him. I hope he’ll handle soft ground.
Dark horse
Bob Olinger
5g Sholokhov – Zenaide
Robcour
11-
RPR 135b OR –
We bought him off Pat Doyle after he won his point-to-point impressively and we like him. He works well and he won his bumper well. He’ll go for a maiden hurdle in the next few weeks and we’ll take it from there.
Brave Way
5m Jeremy – Black Mariah
Kenneth Alexander
1-1
RPR 123h OR –
She’s a nice mare. We were fortunate enough to get her at the Cheltenham November Sales and we were pretty much ready to go with her when the first lockdown came, so we left her off and it could have been the best thing to happen to her as she looked amazing when she came back to us. She’s really strengthened up and we’ll probably go to Punchestown in early December for a mares‘ novice hurdle.
Captain Guinness
5g Arakan – Presenting D’Azy
Declan Landy
12B-P
RPR 150h OR –
He was pulled up on his chasing debut at Tipperary last week and we discovered afterwards that he had an atrial fibrillation, meaning his heart was out of rhythm. It’s basically the same thing that Sprinter Sacre and Denman had. He’s with the vets at the moment and we can hopefully have him back out in the next five or six weeks. He had great novice hurdle form last year and before Tipperary he’d been working well and his jumping was good.
Capuccimix
7g Al Namix – Capuccina
Robcour
7/2U215-
RPR 142c OR 136c
He’s a lovely horse who likes a bit of soft ground. He’s a big horse and he’s only really coming to himself now. We have a couple of options coming up for him. There’s a new chase coming up which I had in mind for him, a second-season handicap chase at Fairyhouse in December that looks ideal.
Chris’s Dream
8g Mahler – Janebailey
Robcour
15/P110-
RPR 167(c) OR 165(c)
He seems in great form. We’re aiming him for the Champion Chase at Down Royal initially, but I’m not so sure whether we’ll train him as a Gold Cup horse this year. I wouldn’t like to discount it because he’s always looked like a staying horse, but the first impression from last season’s race was that he didn’t stay and, as he seems to travel effortlessly up to three miles, we might end up dropping him back in trip. We’ll pick our races for him after Down Royal.
Dark horse
Cobbler’s Way
6g Oscar – Beeper’s Leader
Gigginstown House Stud
2/1/212P-
RPR 147h OR 146h
He was wrong and got no run in the Albert Bartlett after a cracking run when he was second in the 2m6f Grade 1 at Leopardstown behind Latest Exhibition. He goes chasing now and will go for a beginners chase in the next few weeks. He’s won his point-to-point and he jumps well, so it looks to be his game.
Commandingpresence
5g Kalanisi – Cooksgrove Lady
Mrs M J Wogan
2-1F
RPR 138h OR –
He’s still a big baby but he won well at Punchestown last month and I’d say the penny was only starting to drop with him when he fell at Limerick last time. It was a nasty fall but he seems good now. There is a 3m novice hurdle at Cork next week but it might come a bit quick and there’s another one at the same track in December. He’s a lovely horse and stays well but we’re in no real hurry with him.
Decimation
5g Milan – Babies Present
Gigginstown House Stud
2
RPR 121h OR –
He was just beaten by a good mare of Gordon Elliott’s in a maiden hurdle at Fairyhouse when two of ours dead-heated for second. He’ll hopefully win his maiden hurdle and go on from there.
Eklat De Rire
6g Saddex – Rochdale
P Davies
121-
RPR 140h OR –
He’s a lovely horse who won his maiden hurdle well and looks a real staying type. He’ll go novice chasing when there is some real cut in the ground. He showed at Thurles in March that he’s a real galloper and he’s one to look forward to.
Eleazar Des Neiges
6g Buck’s Boum – Ludiana Des Neiges
Gigginstown House Stud
49/6512-
RPR 132h OR 123h
He’s another big chasing type and this could be his year. He won his maiden hurdle and was second in a Gowran novice hurdle last season. He jumps well and is a nice horse who likes to get his toe in.
Epson Du Houx
6g Diamond Boy – Pruneyle Do
Gigginstown House Stud
4/F771-F
RPR 119h OR –
We’ve always thought a lot of this horse. He eventually won his maiden hurdle last season but we always thought he was a chasing type, and he ran well for a long way on his chase debut at Wexford on Monday. He took a very tired fall at the last but if he’s okay we’ll look for another beginners‘ chase in a few weeks.
Fully Charged
6g Fair Mix – Alora Money
Three Swallows Partnership
21/2146-
RPR 133h OR 131h
He had a good year last season. We were going to go for a beginners‘ chase in the last couple of weeks but we just backed off him and he seems to be good again now. It made us change our plan slightly and we will go for the auction hurdle final at Punchestown this week before going chasing.
Gabbys Cross
5g Frammassone – Mille Et Une Nuits
R S Brookhouse
1050-1
RPR 114h OR –
He won well the other day when we put the hood on him. He’s been very immature mentally and it’s taken time for the penny to drop but he’s getting there all the time. We’ll look for a rated novice hurdle for him now and see how he progresses from there.
Gaspard Du Seuil
4g Fuisse – Voilette Du Seuil
Sean & Bernardine Mulryan
1-34
RPR 106h OR –
He won a bumper in France before coming to us. He ran well in a four-year-old maiden hurdle at Punchestown where they went no gallop, but I was very disappointed with his run at Wexford on Monday. We’ll get him checked out but he might just need a longer trip and better ground.
Gua Du Large
4g Kapgarde – Kayagua
Robcour
2
RPR 120h OR –
He’s a nice big horse and we were delighted with his first run at Fairyhouse when he dead-heated for second with one of our other horses, Decimation. We’re just getting to know him and we’ll find a maiden hurdle for him in the next few weeks.
Holymacapony
4g Libertarian – Heavenly Star
Barry Maloney
1 (point form)
RPR 91p
He won a point-to-point nicely in February and I think he’s one to look forward to.
Star quality
Honeysuckle
6m Sulamani – First Royal
Kenneth Alexander
11-1111
RPR 160h OR 158h
She’s still only six and it was fantastic to win the Mares‘ Hurdle at Cheltenham with her last season. It was a close call between that race and the Champion and it probably will be again, although there’s a lot to get through before we arrive at that point. She’s summered really well as she came back looking brilliant and is working well. We’ll aim initially for the Hatton’s Grace Hurdle at Fairyhouse and go from there. We’ll look for a similar campaign as last year and go for the Irish Champion Hurdle, and from there we’ll see how things are unfolding.
January Jets
6g Presenting – Poetics Girl
Robcour
1/283-15
RPR 129h OR 128h
He won his maiden hurdle well but everything was a bit quick for him next time at Tipperary, including the ground, and he just got lost that day. We’ll aim for a beginners‘ chase now and he’s a real chasing type.
Jason The Militant
6g Sans Frontieres – Rock Angel
Peter Michael
3/2151-
RPR 144h OR 143h
I think he’s a very good horse who will do well this season. He won well on the Flat at Fairyhouse last time and is now likely to go for the Grade 2 WKD Hurdle at Down Royal this week. We’ll see how he progresses from there, but if things go well we will take on some of the better horses. He needs soft ground.
Kapard
4f Kapgarde – Ardissone
Alan Halsall
11
RPR 112h OR –
She’s a very nice filly. She won her maiden hurdle at Roscommon, which wasn’t the strongest of races, and she was very green again at Wexford on Monday, but she battled well. She might go to Thurles before Christmas for a Listed mares‘ hurdle. She’s a grand chasing type for the future but needs a bit of experience and loves an ease in the ground.
Le Musigny
6g Anzillero – Fee Magic
J.P. McManus
3/P/16-2
RPR 138c OR –
He was always going to be a chaser. He won his maiden hurdle at Punchestown and was well beaten at Naas after that but Barry Geraghty liked him that day. He ran nicely when beaten by Darver Star at Punchestown two weeks ago – he got a bit lost early on but stayed at it well. We’ll find another beginners‘ chase for him.
Minella Escape
5g Beat Hollow – Be My Leader
Alan Halsall
41-F
RPR 129h OR –
He’s a nice horse we bought out of a point-to-point which he won well. He’d been working nicely and was running a very nice race at Punchestown when he unfortunately fell at the last. We’ll look for another maiden hurdle in a few weeks.
Star quality
Minella Indo
7g Beat Hollow – Carrigeen Lilly
Barry Maloney
1/1212-1
RPR 166c OR 160c
I think he’s a very exciting horse and he lost very little in defeat in the RSA Chase. It was such an extraordinary race and Champ came to beat us sadly, but he ran really well. Last year we took the decision to focus strongly on Cheltenham, whereas this year we’re going to focus up to Christmas and then see how we’re going. We couldn’t have asked for more than at Wexford on Monday – he was very impressive and performed above expectations. We’ll probably go to Navan next month for a new Grade 2 second-season chase.
Minella Melody
6m Flemensfirth – Cottage Theatre
Kenneth Alexander
2/31110-2
RPR 139h OR 141h
She’s good. I’m not sure what happened to her in the mares novice hurdle at Cheltenham, but she had a great season up until then and hopefully it was a matter of just doing too much in front that day. I was very pleased with her run at Galway on Sunday as she’s a stuffy sort of mare and needs a run. She’ll be aimed at the rescheduled Grade 1 mares‘ novice hurdle at Fairyhouse at the Winter Festival. Unfortunately it’s a Grade 2 now, so she’ll be carrying a penalty.
Minella Times
7g Oscar – Triptoshan
J P McManus
42120-1
RPR 140c OR 136c
He was really good when he won at Listowel and will be aimed now at the Troytown Chase. He’s progressing and seems to stay very well. He looks like being a good hardy handicapper that we can aim at the good handicap chases at around 3m.
Star quality
Monalee
9g Milan – Tempest Belle
Barry Maloney
14/P324-
RPR 173c OR 171c
He obviously ran a blinder in the Gold Cup last season and we’ll be plotting a similar campaign this year. He stayed really well, which was in some doubt, and it was unfortunate the way he was hampered and lost his place a little at the top of the hill – it possibly cost him a place. He’s in really good form and we’re thinking of starting him off in a Listed 2m6f chase at Thurles in mid-November. It looks an ideal race and I don’t think he’ll have a penalty. We’ll see how things go from there and we might even have a crack at the King George at Christmas.
Moon Over Germany
9g Germany – Elea Moon
Philip J Reynolds
286-U40
RPR 154c OR 149c
He ran very disappointingly at Listowel last time but we found a chip in his hind joint and he was a bit sore. All seems to be good now and we’ll aim for something in the new year.
Mormon
7g Stowaway – A Plus Ma Puce
Gigginstown House Stud
127/529-
RPR 137(c) OR 130(c)
He had a couple of nice runs last year. He’ll go for a handicap chase in the next couple of weeks and we’ll aim for the Paddy Power Handicap Chase at Leopardstown at Christmas. He needs to come up a couple of pounds but we’ll see how we go.
Mud Runner
6g Presenting – Victoria Theatre
Julian Taylor
3-
RPR 113h OR –
He got injured on his one run last year and will be back in the new year. He’s a nice horse and a very nice chasing type.
Myth Buster
7g Shantou – Fairy Blaze
C Jones
7/4U352-
RPR 142c OR –
He had a couple of good runs last year and was just chinned in a beginners‘ chase at Thurles in March. He had a really good run at Leopardstown over Christmas and we threw him into a Grade 1 after that where he got a bit lost. He seems in great form and will start in a beginners‘ chase or a handicap chase. He’s a real staying type.
Notebook
7g Samum – Nova
Gigginstown House Stud
211116-
RPR 162c OR 158c
He’s working really well at the moment and I’m looking at the Grade 2 at Down Royal for him over 2m3f or the Poplar Square Chase at Naas over 2m. Obviously he excelled over the shorter trip last year and I’m not pushed about going up in trip with him, it’s just that the Down Royal race is so suitable with it being for second-season novices. He didn’t run his race at Cheltenham in the Arkle last season but a couple of his wins were very impressive and I’d certainly hope that he’ll be able to mix it with the best of the two-mile chasers.
Paloma Blue
8g Stowaway – Court Leader
C Jones
320-313
RPR 156c OR 149c
He ran a nice race in the Grade 2 at Gowran over two and a half miles but he’s probably more of a two-miler. We’ll put him in the Fortria Chase and see how he goes from there.
Petibonome
4g Al Namix – Olafane
Robcour
F1D- (point form)
RPR 94p
He was unfortunate to be disqualified from a point-to-point after he went the wrong side of a bale. He works well and I think he’s going to be a nice horse.
Plan Of Attack
7g Court Cave – Loadsofability
Alan Halsall
21134-P
RPR 144c OR 139c
He led over the last in the Paddy Power last year and I hope that he has one of those big staying handicap chases in him. He struck into himself badly in the Kerry National, but there are a couple of races coming up for him like the Troytown or one at the Cheltenham November meeting.
Punitive
6g Shantou – Rowlands Star
Gigginstown House Stud
541U11-
RPR 129h OR 123h
He’ll go novice chasing this year. He was progressive in novice hurdles last season and has always looked like a chasing type. I hope he’ll come into his own this season.
Put The Kettle On
6m Stowaway – Name For Fame
One For Luck Racing Syndicate
111211-
RPR 159c OR 154c
She thrived last season and is in mighty form again. She came out of the blue a little when winning at Cheltenham last November and was probably the forgotten horse in the Arkle. We had her in the Grade 2 at Gowran but the ground was a little better than I would ideally have wanted, so we have decided to go straight for the Shloer Chase at Cheltenham next month as she showed last season how much she loves the course. She’s still a young mare and we are hoping she can hopefully progress into a mare for a championship race.
Raya Time
7g Al Namix – Ruthenoise
R S Brookhouse
22/815-F
RPR 132h 103c OR 127c
He was a bit of a tearaway last year, but we rode him that way and he seems a lot more settled now. He was an early faller the other day in a beginners‘ chase at Killarney, which was a bit disappointing. He’s probably more effective on better ground so we’ll try to find a race for him before the ground gets too soft.
Royal Thief
6g Fame And Glory – Lady Fancy
Gigginstown House Stud
13150-1
RPR 133c OR 130c
He won well the other day and is a real staying type who is taking to fences really well. We’ll see how he progresses but he’s such an out-and-out stayer that he could develop maybe into an Irish Grand National horse by the end of the season.
Spyglass Hill
7g Morozov – Missmartinslane
Niall O’Leary
62F1-PP
RPR 148c OR 146c
He’s been a bit unlucky as nothing went right for him in either the Galway Plate or the Kerry National. He’ll get an entry in the Troytown but we’lll see how he is closer to the time. The alternative is a second-season novice chase at Gowran the same weekend over two-and-a-half miles. He’s an out-and-out staying handicap chaser.
Telmesomethinggirl
5m Stowaway – Wahiba Hall
Kenneth Alexander
50-1311
RPR 135h OR 126h
She’s a nice mare and progressing all the time. She’s on a little break now and we’ll bring her back for the good mares‘ handicap hurdle at Leopardstown in February. Depending on how that goes we might well aim her at the mares‘ novice hurdle at Cheltenham.
Trainwreck
8g Stowaway – Trail Storm
Gigginstown House Stud
843020-
RPR 146c OR 139c
I’d been running him over two miles but then Rachael Blackmore said to step him up in trip and he almost went and won the Leopardstown Chase over 2m5f. Rachael was stood down for the rest of that day and we got Eoin Walsh to ride him, but unfortunately he’d eaten his dinner, thinking he had no rides left, put up 2lb overweight and was beaten a head! He’s one to look forward to this season in staying handicap chases.
Visioman
7g Vision D’Etat – Loumie
Alan Halsall
50-4711
RPR 140c OR 139c
He’s done really well this year and won well at Limerick last time. He will go for a 2m4f handicap chase at Punchestown on Morgiana Hurdle weekend. He handles an ease but I don’t think he’ll handle real winter ground.
Walk Away
7g Black Sam Bellamy – Pegus Love
Robcour
4/7253-F
RPR 140c OR 136c
He’s a very nice horse and still a novice for this season so we have some options with him. He took an unfortunate fall in the Munster National. We’ll look for something similar and he’ll probably get an entry in the Troytown.
Zarkareva
4f Authorized – Zarkiyna
Robcour
67-0F11
RPR 125c OR –
She was disappointing early on but has done really well since she went over fences. She won impressively at Sligo and was given a super ride by Dylan Robinson to win a nice race at Punchestown. She’s progressive and gets her four-year-old allowances. She might go to Cheltenham in November for the novice chase Put The Kettle On won last year or we might wait for Leopardstown at Christmas. I hope she’ll keep progressing.
Expert analysis
Monalee ran a cracker when a close fourth in the Cheltenham Gold Cup in March, but perhaps Henry de Bromhead now has a better chance of winning jump racing’s most prestigious prize.
Minella Indo was still an unfurnished individual when gunned down late by Champ at the Cheltenham Festival. That was only his third outing over fences and you wouldn’t have to work too hard to come up with an argument suggesting odds of 14-1 are too big for the Gold Cup.
Honeysuckle remains unbeaten and, while some say otherwise, she beat Benie Des Dieux fair and square in the Mares‘ Hurdle at Cheltenham, which takes some doing. De Bromhead resisted the temptation of the Champion Hurdle last season but, if she wins the Hatton’s Grace and Irish Champion Hurdle again, it will be harder to swerve this time around.
Baptism Of Fire could be underrated. He got up late to deny Wide Receiver in a Punchestown maiden hurdle and the runner-up is held in very high regard. There is a vast amount of improvement in his locker.
Myth Buster interests me greatly this season and could be an ideal candidate for the Paddy Power Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas. He remains a novice, but his third to Easy Game and Allaho last Christmas looks cracking form now and he is in the best possible hands to continue his progress over fences. He should win a beginners‘ chase with his eyes shut in the coming weeks and I’ll be keeping an eye out for a Paddy Power Chase quote once he does. Owner Chris Jones won the race in 2016 with Noble Endeavor and he looks to have another ideal type for the valuable prize. Cobbler’s Way is another promising staying novice chaser and he could develop into an RSA contender.
