Top 5 Irish Horses to Follow by Ginger Joe

#1 Adaboy Mushy

• • Age: 4 Years
  • T: Declan Queally
  • O: O’Rourke
  • Form: 11-
  • The Target: I’m hoping he can come from a small yard and develop into a graded horse. Long term, the hope would be that he can work his way into the Turners Novice Hurdle come March.
    

The number one horse to follow on my Irish list this year is another Declan Queally horse, like last year, but this time in the name of Adaboy Mushy.

He is genuinely a really lovely looking son of Blue Bresil and stands over 17 hands, making him a big gelding to work with. So far, he has had just two starts, both in bumpers. I think it will become quite obvious where this boy is likely to end up, provided all goes to plan during the season. We’ll get to that in a moment.

First off, though, I’m a big fan of his trainer, Declan Queally. He’s one of those smaller Irish trainers who seems to find a bit of talent without needing the big budgets, and he had a fantastic season last year.

That was highlighted by I’ll Sort That giving the yard its first Grade 1 success, before finishing just three lengths behind King Rasko Grey in the Turners at the Cheltenham Festival. Not bad for so-called amateurs!

Adaboy Mushy is another example of that too. He was actually unsold at the Goffs Arkle Sale as a three-year-old, with a €38,000 reserve, before going on to win both of his bumper starts. I really like what Queally is doing here, and I think he could have another really nice horse on his hands.

So, let’s take a brief look back at last season because, as mentioned, Adaboy Mushy won both of his bumpers, and I feel the way those races panned out is actually really important for his progression.

On debut, he won at Leopardstown from the front, and it was a really good display considering he was green for most of the way. I find it even more impressive when a horse wins a bumper from the front on racecourse debut. When horses are ridden that way, it can be because the yard knows they have the stamina to keep going, or because they have the class to boss a field. Adaboy Mushy showed both of those qualities for sure, but he isn’t short of gears either.

That became clear next time out at Punchestown. Unlike on debut, he was held towards the back before coming wide after the home turn and powering home to get up late by half a length ahead of Bon Bon Fizz.

You can bet your last pound that he is good value for that narrow winning margin too. It’s really important to find horses that are tactically versatile. The fact he has shown both sides of his game in just two starts leaves him open to plenty of improvement this season, especially as he starts to fill out that big frame.

The other thing I really like about him is that his attributes seem to match what his pedigree suggests. Blue Bresil is a sire I really like for producing horses with plenty of ability and enough speed for trips between two and two-and-a-half miles, with Constitution Hill being the most notable example.

His dam is by Alderbrook, who won the Champion Hurdle back in 1995. There is therefore plenty of speed and stamina in the pedigree of this giant four-year-old, and I think he has everything in place to become a properly smart horse.

He’s our under-the-radar horse to follow in the novice hurdles this season, and I’m hoping he can come from a small yard and develop into a graded horse. Long term, the hope is that he can work his way into the Turners Novice Hurdle come March.

Queally himself described him as a “graded horse” after Punchestown, so it’s not just me getting carried away here.  This is a very unique horse, and sometimes they are the ones that turn out very special.

#2 The Big Berk

• • Age: 4 Years
  • T: Emmet Mullins
  • O: Paul Byrne
  • Form: 1-
  • The Target: Back him in his first two starts, hopefully wins both, and take out profit.

Next up on my Irish list of Horses to Follow is a horse who is unraced under rules, having recently come from the point-to-point scene.

The horse is The Big Berk, who many may not have heard of yet. However, he was purchased by Paul Byrne for €150,000 and sent into training with Emmet Mullins after winning by five lengths in a point-to-point at Dromahane. By the way, I think this is really good business, and I’ll explain why shortly.

There are a few reasons this horse has made my list, but first off, let’s take a look at his pedigree. You may have heard me say this before, but I love horses that show the attributes their pedigrees suggest when they run, and The Big Berk is a really good example because he has a mixture of both on his page.

He is by Berkshire, who has a Flat pedigree with plenty of speed. On the dam’s side, he is out of a mare by Turgeon, who was a nice National Hunt horse in the early 2000s and offers a proper staying pedigree.

On debut, The Big Berk showed both attributes very clearly, and this is what I really like. He travelled so nicely, and his jumping was definitely above average too.

However, the most eye-catching point, certainly from my view anyway, was the way he finished his race. He led at the third-last, was two lengths ahead at the second-last, around four lengths clear at the last, and then just powered away up the straight with minimal effort.

He certainly wasn’t stopping at the line either, but at the same time, he wasn’t ridden to squeeze absolutely everything out of him. There was loads left in the tank. So, once again, he showed the speed from his sire and the stamina from his dam. The fact that he displays those pedigree attributes tells me that this is a really well-bred horse.

So, you may ask, what level of horse are we talking about here? Well, in this case, that’s not really why we are following him, even though he could become pretty smart. I have actually added The Big Berk to the mix because I think there is going to be an immediate plan with him. I really like the intention behind it because, hopefully, we can capitalise on it, too.

The €150,000 price tag looks likely to turn out to be a really good bit of business. When you look at the pattern with the Emmet Mullins and Paul Byrne partnership, they seem to follow a fairly common process.

Emmet Mullins, for a start, doesn’t strike me as someone whose sole priority is to win as many Grade 1s as possible. He is more of a businessman, and he likes making money, as does Paul Byrne. So, the incentive with this horse is clear.

He has been bought with the idea of getting some black type before potentially being sold on for a healthy profit. And this is exactly why he makes my list. Not only do I like the talent he showed in his point-to-point, with that combination of speed and stamina, but those two attributes also mean that Emmet Mullins and Paul Byrne should be able to find a winnable bumper for him to get that all-important number one next to his name.

I also have a suspicion that, rather than keeping him in bumpers after that win, they may roll the dice and send him straight over hurdles, too, trying to pick up an immediate win in that division as well.

The reason is simple. Find a couple of races he can win, a bumper and a maiden hurdle, and suddenly his value increases massively. As we’ve seen, JP McManus does often come knocking for these types of horses from these connections.

So, that is my prediction for him. He has shown more than enough ability in his point-to-point to suggest he could win a bumper and a maiden hurdle without too much trouble.

Now, of course, we don’t get any of the business profits. What we hopefully do get is a horse we can back on debut, and then again second time out, giving us two nice wins and a bit of punting profit along the way… hopefully!

#3 Fleur In The Park

• • Age: 7 years
  • T: Andrew Slattery
  • O: Margaret O’Rourke
  • Form: 321251-21
  • The Target: Graded company over fences, with the Ryanair Chase a potential long-term target.

Fleur In The Park is one I’m really interested in following this season. I genuinely believe that, if he continues to progress, he could develop into a Ryanair Chase horse come March.

I really like the idea of him over two-and-a-half miles, and I think there could be plenty more to come as he continues to develop over fences. He has the sort of profile that makes me want to get onside early, before we know exactly how good he can be. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see connections pitch him into some serious races this season.

A run in the Envoi Allen Chase at Down Royal or the John Durkan would be an interesting possibility. I wouldn’t rule out a King George target either if connections feel he is ready for that step up in class and trip. Those are big races, of course, but I think he is a horse worth keeping a close eye on as the season unfolds.

For me, though, the Ryanair Chase is the race that really catches the eye. If he keeps improving and shows that he belongs at the top level, I can see him becoming a very interesting contender for that two-and-a-half-mile championship test at Cheltenham.

His recent win in the Danoli Chase after 158 days off the track was really encouraging. I just think there were signs of a completely different animal this season. He is a good horse that won’t be touted by many just yet.

#4 Interstellar

• • Age: 3 Years
  • T: Willie Mullins
  • O: Rich Ricci
  • Form: 1-
  • The Target: To win on debut over hurdles, then to go on to graded level, and lineup at Cheltenham with half a chance in March.

Interstellar is one I simply had to include in my Horses to Follow this season. I don’t usually get too involved in the juvenile hurdle division this early, but this is a sensible exception. I’ve labelled him my number one French recruit for the season, so I want to stick to my guns and see just how far he can go. If there is one juvenile I want to follow closely, it is him.

He has joined Willie Mullins and Rich Ricci after showing plenty of promise in France, and that immediately makes him an interesting prospect. Mullins has an excellent record with French recruits, and Interstellar looks the type who could make a real impact once he gets going over hurdles in Ireland.

I think he will win a race this side of Christmas, and I’d expect to see him line up in the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival. That should give us a much clearer idea of where he stands ahead of the Triumph Hurdle, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he proved a strong contender for the Festival race itself.

Of course, juveniles can be difficult to assess this far out, and there is plenty that can change between now and March. However, I rated him so highly when looking at the French recruits that I have to give him the chance to prove himself. The fact he is now with Mullins and Ricci only adds to the appeal, and I think he could develop into a very smart juvenile hurdler.

I wanted a juvenile in the list to keep things interesting, and Interstellar is the one for me. I’m not getting involved in the Triumph Hurdle market just yet, but he is certainly one I want to keep onside as the season unfolds.

#5 Crystasia

• • Age: 5 Years
  • T: Henry De Bromhead
  • O: R Brookhouse
  • Form: 1-
  • The Target: To win an early-season maiden hurdle, before stepping into graded company and hopefully going well there too.

Crystasia is a lovely horse with a nice pedigree by Crystal Ocean, my favourite sire. He is also out of a Presenting mare, so there is a really nice mixture of class and stamina in the pedigree, which is always something I like to see. It is probably one of the reasons I like the Crystal Ocean progeny so much, too.

He was actually bought for £31,000 as a yearling and has only had the one run under rules, but it was a performance that seriously caught my eye. It came at Punchestown in May, where he lined up in a 16-runner bumper and simply dismantled the field. He virtually made all, travelled really nicely, was pushed along on the home turn and then just took off, eventually winning by 12 lengths and being eased down close to the line.

The form of the race doesn’t look overly strong, but honestly, it is the way he won that makes me interested rather than just the pedigree. He moved really nicely through the race, travelled strongly and then found another gear when asked.

That is the sort of debut that makes you sit up and take notice. The obvious question now is, how good was the form? Well, he wasn’t beating a field of future Grade 1 winners, so I’m certainly not going to get carried away after one run.

But when you’ve got a five-year-old who wins his only start by 12 lengths, looks like he has plenty of ability and is trained by De Bromhead, I think he is absolutely one to keep on the radar this season.

I think we could see him out quite early this season, and I’d like to think he can win a maiden or novice hurdle before stepping up into graded company. I also think he’ll really enjoy getting his toe into some nice soft ground, although good to soft wouldn’t be an issue for me either.

Hopefully, we’ve found an under-the-radar horse who can go on to become quite a smart one in this division. I don’t think he’ll quite become a Supreme or Turners horse, but I certainly think he can win a few decent races this season and potentially get competitive in graded company. He’s a very likeable type and probably one who will be even better as a chaser a season down the line.