Mallowney

Mallowney put up a nice performance to win the listed Kingsfurze Novice Hurdle over two miles at Naas on Sunday. He travelled well throughout, jumped accurately, as you would expect from one with his experience, and he never had too many worries. He was still cruising over the second last, he travelled like the most likely winner down to the last and he picked up impressively to win under just a hands and heels ride from Paul Carberry.

His task was made easier by Zuzka’s fall at the second last, but it is unlikely that she would have beaten the winner, she was a couple of lengths behind him and certainly going no better than him at the time. As well as Zuzka, this race had some depth to it. Shrapnel, the second, is a useful horse of Gordon Elliott’s, and the third horse, Moscow Mannon, was fourth in last season’s Cheltenham bumper, while the useful pair Clonbannon Lad and Rory O’Moore were both well beaten off.

This was Mallowney’s second win over the course and distance – he had easily landed a handicap hurdle off a mark of 119 on his previous run – and this was a career-best. He had finished seventh to Abbey Lane in the Boylesports Hurdle before that, he is improving all the time, following his wind operation last summer, and he can step up in class again now. He may just be under-rated a little when he does, having come the handicap route rather than the novice route.

10th March 2013