08-Oct-2008

It was only a Class 4 novice hurdle at Hexham that On Raglan Road won last Friday, but the manner in which he pulverised his opponents was visually hugely impressive, and you can file him quite comfortably in the probably overflowing ‘Could Be Anything’ drawer.

A graduate of the Timmy Hyde academy, under whose tutelage he won a point-to-point at Dundrum on heavy ground and a bumper for newcomers at Punchestown on good ground, the strapping son of Flemensfirth was purchased by Wylie for 320,000gns at Doncaster last May. The Punchestown bumper has not worked out too well to date, but he stayed on well to win that contest easily enough over an inadequate two miles. He is out of a half-sister to Therealbandit and The Bajan Bandit, from the family of Belmont King, and he is an embryo staying chaser who jumps hurdles surprisingly well. He is only five years old, and he is one about which you can legitimately get at least moderately excited.

© The Irish Field, 8th October, 2008