Jessica Harrington: “He jumps well and he has surprised me this season and he has done nothing but improve”

IT'S been a relatively quiet week, but I was delighted with Magnium who I thought ran a lovely race at Naas when fourth in the Grade 1 novice hurdle last Sunday.

We made the running the other day which really suited him and the plan is that he’ll go for the two mile and six Grade 1 novice hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival. The only problem that I have is that he needs to go left-handed, as he leans a bit when he goes the other way. He is a galloper and he never gave up and he jumped very well Naas too.

We’ve made a few entries for the Grade 1’s at the Dublin Racing Festival and I’ve been delighted with Supasundae and the plan is for him to go for the BHP Insurance Irish Champion Hurdle.

Sizing John is in great form, but I still haven’t been able to get him away for a racecourse school as the ground has been too good for him.

It’s been frustrating, but there isn’t a great deal that we can do about the weather and he has the option of the Unibet Irish Gold Cup or the Red Mills Chase at Gowran Park. They are both next month and I’m hoping that he’ll run in one of those races – I’d have a preference for the Leopardstown race, but we’ll just have to wait until the rain arrives before choosing which will suit.

Saturday – Fairyhouse

12.25 

Rapid Response (Robbie Power)

You can put a line through her last run at Limerick. The ground was too deep and heavy for her and the trip was a bit far for her too. I think she’ll run well and she’s a lovely big mare. It looks a good race and Willie has Great White Shark off the flat, while Tens Or Better won a bumper the last day, but Caravation looks the one to beat. She was only beaten by Relegate at Naas and a repeat effort would make her hard to beat. I think the better ground will suit our filly and she does jump well.

1.00

Got Trumped (Robbie Power)

He is in very good form and he ran very well when third in a Grade 2 the last day at Christmas at Leopardstown. He may have got to the front a bit soon that day – he is still an inexperienced horse, and he’s still learning. He has come out of that race in very good form and he is improving all the time. It looks a competitive race and Gardens Of Babylon was a good winner the last day and there are a few dangers. And any rain that falls would help him and after this, he’ll go for the Grade 1 Four Year Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival.

1.35

Jack Fiasco (Robbie Power)

He is taking a drop in class here and he was unfortunate the last day when he made a terrible mistake at the second last in the Pertemps Qualifier at Leopardstown the last day. I think he’ll run very well and three miles on good ground is what he wants.

2.45

Impact Factor (Robbie Power)

He’s a good horse and I think he’ll run a good race. Ideally, he’d like a good dig in the ground, but we just have to make do with what we have. He’s rated 132 and you’d have thought, running off that kind of rating, that he should be able to win his beginners' chase.

Sunday – Punchestown

12.40

Loupgarou (Robbie Power)

We are stepping him up in trip to two miles and six and Robbie suggested that we do so, after he ran the last day over two miles. He is a bit of an enigma and on a going day, he could run very well, but it really is down to him. He likes good ground and he likes Punchestown – he won over hurdles here last year. It really is down to him and if he put his best foot forward, he could run a big race.

1.15

Jetz (Robbie Power)

This looks a very good race and it’s possible to make a case for all nine runners. We run Jetz and he got bogged down in the mud the last day at Limerick. He pulled too hard that day too, so we are taking the hood off him and he could end up making the running and hopefully, he’ll relax. He is rated 145 and he was a very good hurdler and was only touched off in a Grade 1 novice hurdle last season. I’d say his mark (145) is a fair reflection of his ability. We know he’s a good horse and he ran very well when third to Delta Work and Le Richebourg in the Drinmore at Fairyhouse before Christmas and they both won Grade 1’s at Leopardstown, so if he got back to that form, he’d have every chance.

2.20

Whisperinthebreeze (Finny Maguire)

He has been running well in beginners and novice chases and he jumps and stays, so he’ll take his chance in this. I think the three-mile-plus trip will suit him and Finny is riding great at the minute. He has plenty of weight, but he’ll take his chance. It will be his first run in a handicap and there are plenty in the race with more experience than him, but we’ll let him take his chance and see how he gets on. He is still a maiden over fences and again, it just goes to show how hard it to win a novice chase over here – he is still a maiden over fences going into a handicap chase rated 126.

2.50

Jetez (Robbie Power)

I have been delighted with Jetez and he is a rapidly improving horse which won his last start impressively at Leopardstown. He beat an experienced field of handicappers well that day and he deserves to take his chance in a graded hurdle. He likes nice ground and he brings plenty of experience into the race and I think that will help him. He jumps well and he has surprised me this season and he has done nothing but improve. We’ll see how Sunday goes and this race will determine where he’ll go and I am looking forward to running him a race named after one of the great horses that we had here in Moscow Flyer.