Listowel "A Sign The Real National Hunt Horses Are Coming Out To Play"

You`re a bit of a legend around these parts SB. They must have been an impressive quartet of posts!!!

Never went away-Just an observer of the Forums these days. Don't post anymore ! [:x]

One Patsy Byrne owned horse to watch for next week is Buy Back Bob. A talented flat performer by the very good Big Bad Bob he was bought for 140,000 gns at the Newmarket sales by his new connections. His first run resulted in a promising showing in a mallow maiden hurdle where the overriding impression was that there was plenty more to come. I'm unsure whether he qualifies for the Slan Abhaile and if not I would imagine a maiden hurdle would be the target. Wherever he turns up he will take a lot of beating.

Another horse with local connections is the Christy Roche trained Deep Determination. He is entered in a bumper at the start of the week and while I wouldn't personally be especially bullish about him if the ground is soft he is likely to have plenty of supporters.

Listowel is a pain in the arse of a Festival for numerous reasons:

1) It goes on too long, by the end of the week you'd be sick of it.
2) Its in Kerry. Where a lot of the people are half civilised!!
3) The racing isn't that good, the main race is the Kerry National, name another decent race down there.
4) Summer is over!! Stop trying to drag it out with another fcu-king Festival!
5) Can throw up some odd winners.

Yeah Willie Mullins Local Celebrity just beaten by Mondays Roscommon maiden hurdle winner MADAM BOVARY in Sligo. That foiled Willie a four timer in the last race at Sligo that night. Usually Sligo form isn't great but that form has been boosted ! He also has entered Robin Angevin - twice beaten in Galway- and looked a right dog there last time ! He never settled and had a horrible head carriage. Previously got an over confident ride from Patrick albeit he found less than anticipated once off the bridle ! Black Zorro and Winslet are other noteworthy entries but its hardly a strong bumper. Usually Listowel has a few decent bumper winners !

Stamford Bridge i like your well thought out and reasoned post but find myself in agreement with Giant Strides your first four posts on here must have been something else.In any post on old forumites your name comes up in whispered reverential tones,almost Kaiser Sousa like,the four must have resembled Keen Leaders classic post.
I would never bet odds on Local Celebrity and whilst Madam Bovary came out and won a Roscommon maiden hurdle on heavy ground doubt if that form will stand up.

Stamford Bridge Joined: 30 Jun 07
Replies: 9 07 Sep 11 22:30 
Yeah BIG BAD BOB ran well in Cork(And was quietly fancied) although bar the first 2 that was a weak race in general.

Didn't realise BIG BAD BOB has given up his stallion duties at the NationaL Stud..................................We were missing these nuggets of information for so long. Great stuff SB welcome back.

The Mullins bumper horses would have one in the poor house at the moment.

Going back a few years more than I care to remember, I had backed the subsequently brilliant Buck House to win his bumper down there. As per usual at that time I used watch the last race from the house at the 4 or 5 furlong marker in order to make a quick get away. I had the binoculars upand as he turned into the straight I was counting my money. Lo and behold I think Fenton was on it but not sure he took a look over his shoulder and just at that moment he jinked and ran out. What a sickener.
I don't think we will have that class of a bumper horse this week.

Of course I remember Bregawn the winning the Slan Abhaile at 25/1 from the same place a few years after winning the Gold Cup.

Them's were the days.

Wed to sat for me this year.

recall bregawn being fav for kerry nat and refused to race that year.

Keep an eye on D T Hughes (and 'the local' Cooper) for the week

Yes Dessie Hughes remains consistently a top National Hunt trainer and in young Cooper might have unearthed a fine young talent. It will be interesting to see how his horses perform Sunday and if they are punted.
Looking at that novice chase it should be the best race on the card and probably the best punting contest
Cheestrings Beginners Steeplechase
White Star Line as I mentioned at the top of the Post is clearly the best prospect in the race. The key will be if he's fully tuned up but he has run well fresh in the past and his 2nd over hurdles to two subsequent CheltenhamFestival winners puts him over all of these. As I say market will speak volumnes about his chance but he could be the real deal if fully tuned and might be hard to beat.
Like last years winner of this contest(ESSEX)  De Valira has taken up chasing late in the day. He jumped slowly early on in Killarney and took an age to get going but was nearest at the finish to the shock winner Delphi Mountain. this is more his trip nowadays but he didn't look a natural to me.
Blazing Beacon has always looked a real chaser and his wins over hurdles were a bonus. He attacks his hurdles with relish so should be an exciting front runner over fences,he won't want much rain. But if they aren't out to get him handicaped he could give a fair account of himself provided its not too testing ! But the trainer has struggled for form in recent times.Forjoetheplumber has been off over a year so it would be a super training performance to win. Russian War probably has a fair chance but again ground is key for him.

It would be hard to face Robin Angevin in the bumper at a short price after a dogs display in Galway,he never settled and looked to have a horrible head carriage too. Mike Frazer shaped well behind Maller Tree in Bellewstown and wasn't fancied that night so with Swan having had a rare bumper winner on Monday in roscommon this son of Barathea might be capable of a big ru,he won't mind any rain and this conventional track will be more his cup of tea and Nina carberry another plus.By Listowel standards its a shocker of a bumper (quality wise!)

Black Benny a very smart Bumper horse is entered during the Week in a few maiden hurdles. The ground he requires is good although he did win on soft enough ground in Thurles for previous trainer-Joe fogarty.He inhaled mud at Clonmel one day when they fancied him and stopped more or less after thus his big SP in Thurles.
Now with Barry Connell and Shane Broderick,he was a fine 3rd in Punchestown in arguably the 2nd best bumper run here all year. The dogs were barking about a brilliant gallop he did with Luska Lad up The Curragh prior to Galway,and he duly won well at a generous SP of 7/4 in a poor race.
Other interesting hurdling entrants in Tuesday and Wednesday's maiden hurdles include Steps To Freedom a very smart bumper horse who won't want much rain (so not looking good). He's been running well on the flat too this summer and Jessica Harrington will have him schooled to perfection.

On the chasing front Thursday's Kevin McManus Beginners Steeplechase has attracted local horse SON AMIX among the entries. he'd eat these over hurdles (rated 140) and if he runs he'd be a huge fancy. Also JAKROS looks a nice chasing recruit but he has 17lbs to find with SON AMIX who I feel might be a top class chaser. The yards novices usually jump well.

Cooper's Noel Browne gets in-side the ballot too.

Well its arrived day 1 Listowel and ground is going to be key here. Yhe offical description is (Soft and Yielding for a furlong in the back
straight)
In the first race if it is testing it might negate against the best flat horse in the race Why But Why who got mugged close home in Roscommon on his hurdling debut. He's the best horse in the race but was taken out here 12 months ago because of soft ground. The 2 dangers are his stable companion THE QUIET HAWK not as good on the flat but clearly rejuvenated by a switch to hurdling as he impressed on soft ground in Killarney. CHILL is a smart enough recruit (ex Luca Cummani)he'll relish the ground won a maiden in Warwick on heavy ground and that is a track that gets very testing after rain. Money for him would be significant. Hard to see outside that trio. But market will be key here and mightn't be a huge surprise to see the favourite taken out if its very soft !


In the second race Ruby is back riding Tony Martin trained Patsy Byrne owned SALUTE HIM .He danced in here last year was hugely impressive,but a cautionary note.After that win Martin said " He has got great gears but the driver was vitally important(RUBY). He needed to be very patient," "The ground went against him plenty of times. He can't operate on anything worse than yielding
So clearly two things are key to him a patient ride from a master and ground no worse than yielding. I think we'll know more about the ground after race one. Could be a tactical contest as PLAN A is often produced late too as we saw on Thyestes day in typical Carberry Mode (cheeky cheeky).He will handle the ground for sure. Dessie Hughes mare DEFINITE CLASS might need the run.

I've had two bets this morning I've made no secret that I think WHITE STAR LINE is a proper horse the question is how ready he is for his chasing debut. I gather he's schooled well and has a smart upcoming pilot on board. If this was a hurdle race he'd be 13/8 after his two     great runs behind  FIRST LIEUTENANT (Punchestown) and SIR DES CHAMPS(Naas). You'd like to see money for him knowing connections like a punt. But I've jumped the gun and backed him E.W at 5/1. Granted a clear round its hard to see him out of the first three and I'd like to think he could beat these even operating at 95%.

I also backed TRABAJO at 9/4 and 2/1 in 3-30(Still with Ladbrokes) who I gave a favourable shout to earlier in the post . His 2nd in Cork to Sligo was clearly to have him cherry ripe for today. He's owned by Cork lads exiled in Spain. The plan I gather has been today ever since he won a bumper here in June. his second to the smart DONATIS COMET conceding weight was as good as a win. He stays jumps and significantly has Andrew McNammara booked today,no disrespect to Kenny Whelan who rode him the last day.The slight concern is the ground,he's best on good to yielding and would be odds on but for the rain. I was still amazed they went 9/4+2/1 but as I say the ground isn't ideal. Its a poor race,I accept that 3mile maiden hurdles often throw up beano results for the layers but I think TRABAJO'S class can see him through.He is superbly bred and closely related to that superb stayer WICHITA LINEMAN and to the classy wonder horse RHINESTONE COWBOY who never quite lived up to his home reputation.
Thats my two speculative punts WHITE STAR LINE E.W 5/1
                               TRABAJO win 9/4 and 2/1(He has tightened up now and there will be a Rule 4 of 10c on my plays on him should the Shark's charge win.Best of luck.....
"

Oliver Brady lands the first  in Listowel...Hope hes there to cheer+ sing in the winner in the enclosure !

did oliver give his usual performance in the ring after the race?..it didnt show him sadly on atr!!good man stamford..i followed you in on sharks..

one bet today hurricane ridge will improve a lot for debut and will handle the ground better than most

would be nice if one of the many useless irish journos that are on the racing post website could tell us sumtin nearly 930 and no word

geronimo of interest at weights but hurricane could be special

Johnny said there was more in French Quebec