Royal Kahala

Royal Kahala looked good in winning the mares’ hurdle at Fairyhouse on Friday. Sixth of the group of seven that broke away on the run to the home turn, Peter Fahey’s mare travelled really well up on the outside for Kevin Sexton, past the struggling favourite Darling Daughter, and she moved up to challenge the leader The Getaway Star on the run to the final flight. She got in tight to the final obstacle, but she was fast on the landing side, she was quickly away from it and, once her rider gave her a squeeze, she cleared away on the run-in impressively.

Darling Daughter, who won the Grade 2 mares’ bumper at the Dublin Racing Festival last February, probably under-performed, but favourite The Getaway Star appeared to run her race. She had finished a close-up fourth in the Grade 3 mares’ novices’ hurdle at the Down Royal Champion Chase meeting two weeks earlier, and she should have been suited by the step up to two and a half miles. Yet, Royal Kahala came away from her on the run-in, and Declan Queally’s mare was, in turn, nicely clear of the rest. A promising second behind Castra Vetera in a mares’ bumper on her racecourse debut at Naas last March, Royal Kahala was an impressive winner of her bumper at Fairyhouse 10 days before this. She should improve as her jumping becomes more fluent, and she is a scopey mare who has lots of potential for progression.

Fairyhouse, 10th November 2020, © Sportinglife.com, 16th November 2020