Rory O’Moore

Jessica Harrington’s horse Operating was well backed for a two-mile maiden hurdle at Naas on Saturday, but he could not get near Rory O’Moore, and the winner looks a good prospect now.

There is a chance that Ronnie O’Neill’s gelding won’t get due recognition for this, there is a chance that people will think he stole the race, but there was no stealing races on this ground, most of the winners on the day came from mid-division or the rear, and he just galloped his rivals ragged, despite not really jumping well. He raced alongside Hair Oil Jimmy through the early stages before Andrew McNamara allowed him to stride on heading out on the far side, and he went clear. Operating had closed the gap by the end of the back straight, and when Rory O’Moore crashed through the last flight down the back straight, Operating had a chance of picking him up, the gap was down to about 10 lengths around the home turn, but Rory O’Moore just proceeded to draw further and further clear up the straight, despite not being particularly fluent at either of the last two hurdles. This was just relentless.

The Stowaway gelding has run 13 times but nine of those runs were in bumpers, this was just his fourth ever hurdle race, so there is still room for improvement in his jumping with experience. A three-time bumper winner, he was also second to Don Cossack in the Grade 2 Future Champions Bumper at Navan last December, only caught very close home having attempted similar tactics, and that is strong form. Not only has the winner gone on to frank it emphatically since, but both the third and the fourth, Bridgets Pet and Shu Lewis, have proven themselves to be talented performers, and neither was able to get within 13 lengths of Rory O’Moore.

Rory O’Moore has only ever raced on soft or heavy ground, but he could continue to be under-rated, coming from a small yard. He will be interesting now stepped up in grade against better novices, especially on soft ground at a left-handed track. He could prove to be difficult to peg back wherever he goes now, and if he can improve his jumping just a little, he could be very good indeed.

12th November 2012