Horses To Follow » Home Farm

Home Farm

Home Farm ran a really nice race on his seasonal debut in a two-mile handicap chase at Naas on Saturday. Settled in third of the four runners behind a decent pace that Rupert Lamb set, he jumped and travelled well, and moved up nicely on the run around the home turn, looking a threat. He did come under pressure after jumping the second last, and two-milers Rupert Lamb and Dylan Ross moved on ahead of him, but he stuck to his task well, and was only beaten three parts of a length by Dylan Ross for second place.

This was a fine start to the campaign by Arthur Moore’s horse over a trip that would have been way too sharp for him. He was nicely progressive last season as a novice. He was well beaten by Rupert Lamb in a beginners’ chase at Leopardstown in February, but he stepped up on that when he stepped up in trip to two and a half miles to land his beginners’ chase at Fairyhouse, when he had subsequent JLT Chase third and Kerry National winner White Star Line back in second place.

He ran a cracker on his last run last season to finish third in the Irish Grand National, a six-year-old novice who had run just three times over fences before that, staying on well to be closest at the finish. He will be of big interest now when he steps up in trip again. There could be a big handicap chase in him off his current mark of 142. He could prove to be a fair bit better than that rating.

9th November 2013