Dr Whizz

Dr Whizz ran a really nice race to finish third behind Loup Du Saubouas and Bostons Gift in the two-mile beginners’ chase at Naas on Wednesday. Weak in the market beforehand and with Mark Walsh wearing the blue cap, ostensibly third best of JP McManus’s three runners in the race, the Tom Mullins-trained gelding was held up towards the back and towards the outside in the early stages of the race, but he jumped and travelled well in the main, with the exception of a mistake at the last fence in the back straight, when he was just too long. Even so, he travelled well around the home turn on the coat-tails of the leading nine-strong group, and he kept on nicely over the last two fences, staying on particularly well on the run-in to snatch third place, just two lengths behind the winner, nearest at the finish.

This was a hugely encouraging effort from JP McManus’s horse. The son of Dr Massini looked like an exciting novice hurdler when he followed up his bumper win by landing a good maiden hurdle at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival last year, beating Puyol into second place, and that horse came out and won the 30-runner MCR Handicap Hurdle on his next start. However, he disappointed on both his subsequent runs over hurdles last season, finishing distressed when well beaten at Fairyhouse in February and then finishing down the field behind Arvika Ligeonniere in a novices’ hurdle at the Punchestown Festival. He didn’t shape too badly on his debut over fences behind Saludos and Lucky William at Navan earlier this month, but Wednesday’s run was obviously a significant step forward on that, given that he reversed placings with C’Est Ca and Prince Of Fire, both of whom had finished in front of him at Naas. He obviously has plenty of talent, he is only six, and he is an interesting novice chaser now. He will be of interest wherever he goes next, and he could easily step up in grade later in the season.

24th November 2010

© The Irish Field, 27th November 2010