Eye Catchers February 2025

Doyen Du Bar – 1st in 3.25 Ayr 24/02/25

This is a proper horse who loves jumping and is being kept away from the Cheltenham Festival. He is a horse to follow at the Aintree or Ayr festivals. He is lightly raced for a nine year old having suffered from stress fractures twice in the past. A proper two miler who has taken his form to a higher level over fences this season.

Pauline Robinson who trains hinted that he will be freshened up the Ayr festival in April. His collateral form is looking better and better each week. He beat The Kalooki Kid at Ayr on good ground in November. Next up he won at Aintree with Booster Bob second. On his previous run he finished second to Vincenzo at Sandown which is rock solid form. The handicapper has upped Doyen Du Bar five pounds to a chasing mark of 131. That looks fine and we look forward to seeing his novice chaser at the spring festivals.

I’ll Sort That – 1st in 4.20 Naas 23/02/25

This bumper was the last race run at Naas before the card was abandoned due to the ground. It was proper winter heavy ground with I’ll Sort That galloping through it impressively. What a season young trainer Declan Queally is enjoying and this son of Sandmason looks a proper horse to train over the coming season. He will end up a stayer for sure but with lots of class.

This bumper is always won by a good type with previous winners including William Munny, Stellar Story, Gerri Colombe, Farouk D’alene, Carefully Selected. I’ll Sort That will not head to Cheltenham but could rock up at the Fairyhouse festival in a winners bumper. It will be interesting to see if he can run well on spring ground.

Katate Dori – 1st in 3.35 Kempton 22/02/25

Katate Dori is an obvious one to add to the eye catchers. He demolished a good field to win the Ladbrokes Trophy Premier Handicap chase at Kempton by fifteen lengths! It is not often we see such a competitive and valuable race turned into a procession. Katate Dori raced wide and came around the whole field to win like a good thing.

He is miles ahead of the handicapper and remains well treated off an 11lb higher mark of 136. Hyland who finished second is a Grade 1 horse who ran his race carrying a big weight. Katate Dori has won three from four over fences and finished second on his other run. He has the correct profile for a major shot at the Ultima Handicap Chase on day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival.

Gameofinches – 1st in 5.00 Punchestown 20/02/25

Willie Mullins didn’t look to have a good bunch of bumper horses until the last few weeks. All of a sudden the top guns have hit the track with Gameofinches, another impressive bumper winner for the Closutton stables. A big chasing type who took time before winning a five year old point to point for Paul Cashman.

Willie says he was working nicely at home and showed that on the course here. I can see him going well in the Cheltenham bumper if progressing from this run for UK owner Professor Caroline Tisdall. He is well related being a half brother to The Kalooki Kid trained by Nicky Richards.

Jade de Grugy – 1st in 3.25 Punchestown 20/02/25

Jade de Grugy finally made the racecourse this season and won nicely. She looks as good as ever and loves soft ground. Last season, she was good and finished third behind Golden Ace and Brigtherdaysahead in the Cheltenham novice mares hurdle. That is strong form and she was just caught for speed over two miles.

The step up to two and a half miles can see Jade de Grugy improve further. Willie Mullins said she would improve plenty from this run and that makes her the one to beat over two and a half miles in the mares hurdle on day 1 of the Cheltenham Festival. That is of course with Lossiemouth and Brighterdaysahead running in the Champion Hurdle.

William Munny – 1st in 2.55 Punchestown 20/02/25

William Munny came of age to win this listed novice hurdle at Punchestown. He was a high class bumper horse who won twice last season before finishing third in the champion bumper at the Punchestown Festival. Barry Connell started him off over hurdles at Leopardstown at Christmas. He ran well but fell in a hole having raced too freely allowing Workahead gallop clear at the finish.

Next up he ran at Fairyhouse and went hard up front in a duel with Koktail Divin. Both horses paid the price and more so Koktail Divin with Kawaboomga coming from off the pace to win. It was clear that William Munny was classy but running too freely. Connections decided to drop him out the back in this race and it worked a treat with William Munny settling well before quickening clear up the straight like a good horse. Riding him off the pace looks the key to getting the best from William Munny. He could be a live Supreme novice hurdle contender if heading across the water.

Aqua Force – 1st in 4.50 Gowran Park 15/02/25

I think we saw a proper mare win the bumper at Gowran Park. Aqua Force beat the second and third favourites by over twenty eight lengths! Only a good horse can gallop through soft ground and finish off her race as strongly as Aqua Force. Michael Gunn will sell her on and make a few bob for himself. 

Aqua Force is a daughter of Workforce and showed a bit of knee action hinting that cut in the ground will be important to her. New connections could aim her at the Grade 2 mares bumper at the Aintree Festival if turning up soft in April. Next season she looks sure to appreciate going out in the distance. She looks a proper winter ground staying mare.

Corbetts Cross – 2nd in 3.37 Ascot 15/02/25

The ground was too quick and the trip too short for Corbett’s Cross in this Grade 1 chase. Pic D’orhy has too many gears and slicker jumping for Corbetts Cross who needs three miles plus not two miles and five furlongs on good ground. Nevertheless, he showed his well being and can be a player in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. 

This was a good race to sharpen up his jumping for the Gold Cup. He bolted up last year in the National Hunt chase at the festival. A soft or heavy ground Gold Cup would see Corbetts Cross have a big place chance in the Gold Cup behind likely winner Galopin Des Champs.

Three Card Brag – 3rd in 3.45 Navan 09/02/25

Gordon Elliott trained the first three finishers in this staying Grade 2 novice chase. Better Days Ahead and Stellar Story will most likely go for the Brown Advisory Chase at the upcoming Cheltenham Festival. Gordon has hinted the Aintree Grand National as the plan for Three Card Brag and that is interesting.

Yesterday, the Aintree Grand National weights were published with Three Card Brag allocated a UK handicap mark of 146. A pound higher than his Irish rating and maybe high enough to secure a run going on last year’s ratings. Three Card Brag will be at the foot of the weights for the Grand National if making the cut. He should run well as a bold jumping prominent runner with some cut in the ground important.

Juby Ball – 1st in 1.20 Chepstow 09/02/25

Most eyes were focused on the Navan and Exeter action last Sunday. However, I was impressed by Evan Williiams trained Juby Ball winning a novice hurdle at Chepstow. Juby Ball was sent off as a short-priced favourite and won like a good one. He is two wins from two runs over hurdles and looks ready to tackle higher company. As a bumper horse he showed good form. 

Juby Ball beat Phantomofthepoints who is currently rated 133 over hurdles. At Sandown he finished a clear second to Sixmilebridge, beaten just under three lengths however conceding a 4lb penalty to the winner. Sixmilebride won a Grade 2 hurdle race at Cheltenham on trials day and is now rated 142. Juby Ball is well worth following for the rest of this season be that in handicap or graded races. He’s a strapping big horse who looks like a top chaser in the making next season.

Affordale Fury – 2nd in 1.55 Fairyhouse 05/02/25

A shuddering mistake at the final fence cost Affordale Fury victory in an extended three miles chase at Fairyhouse. It was a cracking run on his first start in over 15 months following an enforced layoff. You can mark up this run more given Affordale Fury carried eight pounds more than the winner, Sa Majeste. 

Affordale Fury was a top staying novice hurdler who finished second in the Grade 1, Albert Bartlett hurdle at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival. He started his chasing career with an impressive win at Galway on heavy ground. Noel Meade tested him next in a Grade 2 novice chase at Punchestown. He injured himself during that race, ending up jumping badly to his right at the finish. Affordale Fury has run three times over fences and should progress into an Irish Grand National horse this season.

Backtonormal- 1st in 2.45 Leopardstown 02/02/25

A handicap chaser worth following for the rest of this season. He won a Grade 3 handicap chase proving well ahead of his opening mark of 130. Gavin Cromwell did a good job handicapping him on his first three chase runs. He jumps well and stays a stiff 2m5f strongly. 

He is talented as over hurdles he beat Answer to Kayf in a good handicap hurdle at the Punchestown festival. Spring ground will suit the son of Milan who can defy a 10lb hike in the ratings to 142 over his next couple of runs.

Insurrection – 1st in 1.55 Musselburgh 02/02/25

Paul Nicholls has a good novice handicap chaser in Insurrection. He ran well back in October when second to Springwell Bay at Chepstow. His next two runs were not so good and it’s great to see him put in a jumping exhibition and win by 16 lengths here over an intermediate trip. Maybe, he needs to go right handed so that would hint at Sandown or the Punchestown Festival in the spring.

Red Dirt Road – 1st in 3.07 Sandown 01/02/25

He led all the way to win a three mile handicap on the testing ground easily. He just loves soft going and there was no fluke about how he beat Henri The Second carrying the same weight in this race. Red Dirt Road loved going an extra half a mile following his Aintree win on Boxing day over two and a half miles. It seems he is rather ground dependent so the plan to target the three mile novice hurdle at Uttoxeter on Midlands National day makes sense. This horse will take beating then even if running off a 9lb higher handicap mark.

Handstands – 1st in 2.35 Sandown 01/02/25

Handstands battled bravely to hold off Jango Baie in the Grade 1 Scilly Isles. It was a cracking race between the pair and that little bit more experience stood to Handstands who jumped the last fence better. He won here over three miles in December and has shown class to drop down in trip and win a Grade 2 & 1 novice chase this year so far. The plan is to bypass Cheltenham and head for the Aintree Festival. A cracking chaser and one who will take a lot of beating when running over three miles at Aintree as a fresh horse.