You Raised Me Up

You Raised Me Up put up a good performance to win the Connolly’s Red Mills novices’ hurdle at Naas on Saturday.

Weak in the market beforehand, Martin Brassil’s horse travelled well through his race for Darragh O’Keeffe behind a good pace that Feelgood Island set. He moved up nicely as they raced across the bottom of the track and progressed into third place behind Feelgood Island and Petibonome as they straightened up for home. He wasn’t that fluent at the second last flight, so he did well to pick up as well as he did from there to challenge at the last. Much better at that obstacle, he joined Feelgood Island and Petibonome 200 yards out, and he kept on well from there to go on and win by a half a length from Petibonome, with Feelgood Island four lengths back in third.

The three horses who dominated the market dominated the finish of the race, and You Raised Me Up did well to come out on top. He didn’t win last season, his first over hurdles, but he ran a big race to finish third in the Ladbrokes Hurdle at Leopardstown last February. He didn’t race again after that until he made his debut this season in a two-mile maiden hurdle at the Listowel Festival in September, which he duly won. This was his first run since, his first run in almost five months – he missed an intended engagement in a handicap hurdle at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival because of the soft ground – so there is every chance that he will come forward for it.

Goodish ground is apparently important to him, so he should progress as the ground gets better as we move into the spring. He is eight years old, but he has raced just six times over hurdles, and he has won twice, his last two races, so there could be a fair bit more to come from him. His trainer Martin Brassil won this race two years ago with City Island, who went and won the Ballymore Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival next time. Your Raised Me Up is not entered in any of the novice hurdles at Cheltenham, but his trainer did mention the County Hurdle and the Coral Cup as options, and he will be of interest if he lines up in either.
Naas, 13^th February 2021