Barneys Honour

Well-backed, from morning prices of 5/1 and 11/2 to an SP of 3/1, Barneys Honour ran out an easy winner of the two-mile handicap hurdle at Navan on Sunday. Always travelling well for Paul Carberry, the City Honours gelding made his ground easily, and pretty much won as easily as he liked, cruising through to take it up between the last two flights as his rivals’ whips flailed, and coming four lengths clear of Chestnut Charlie in a good time, the fastest of the three two-mile hurdle races run on the day, with the rest of the field strung out in behind.

This was just Barneys Honour’s second run for Gordon Elliott, he was a running-on third on his debut for the trainer at Limerick over Christmas, and there is no telling how high he can go now for his new astute handler. The handicapper has raised him 14lb for this, but it is difficult to argue that he didn’t win with at least that much in hand, and he is still very interesting off his new hurdles mark of 115. Soft ground may be important to him, but he could be a fair bit better than his new mark while the ground remains as it is. He is not obviously unexposed, he is nine years old and he has raced 38 times in total, but his new trainer seems to have found a key to him, and he can progress again. He is entered in a handicap hurdle at Gowran Park on Thyestes day, and he would be interesting if he were to line up in that, the ground is almost certain to be testing there. Also, he would be very interesting if he were to race over fences now off his chase mark of 102.

13th January 2013