Front View

Front View put up a good performance to finish second to Five O’Clock in the Grade 3 Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle. Settled at the back of the field early on by Mark Walsh, he made nice ground around the outside as they rounded the home turn, he travelled well into the home straight, and he had just come under pressure when the winner moved across him on the run to the final flight. He wasn’t good at the obstacle, he landed a little flat-footed, so he did well to get going again and get up for second place in front of Assemble and French Dynamite.

This was a most encouraging run by Joseph O’Brien’s horse, on his first appearance since November. The last time we saw him, he stayed on well to win his maiden hurdle, beating his stable companion Uhtred and the well-regarded Jon Snow, both of whom have enhanced the form since. He should come on for this too, his first run in three months, and he has the potential to go a fair way beyond the handicap rating off which he looks set to race in the Martin Pipe Hurdle at Cheltenham.

Thurles, 20^th February 2020