Fils D’Oudairies

Fils D’Oudairies ran well in the two-mile-five-furlong novices’ handicap chase at Punchestown on Friday. Weak in the market beforehand, he settled nicely at the back of the field early on for Donagh Meyler. His jumping was generally good and he travelled well through his race towards the outside. He just got a little out-paced when they quickened at the third last fence, and he was obviously no match for the high-class Asterion Forlonge, but he had stayed on into fourth place when he crumpled on landing over the final fence. He would surely have finished fourth at worst, and he might have got close to the second and third horses Walk Away and Port Stanley.

Joseph O’Brien’s horse was unfortunate to fall. His jumping had been good throughout, and he actually jumped the final fence well too. It is the second time in a row that he has fallen at the final fence, and the third time that he had fallen in just six runs over fences, but he is actually not a bad jumper. Hopefully this will not have affected his confidence unduly, because he is a young chaser who has the potential to go higher than his current handicap rating of 142. He is only six and he is lightly raced over fences. This race is usually a good pointer to the future, the previous two renewals had been won by Kemboy and Real Steel. It can also be a good pointer to the Galway Plate in particular, with recent Galway Plate winners Blazing Tempo, Carlingford Lough, Road To Riches, Shanahan’s Turn, Lord Scoundrel and Balko Des Flos all running in the Punchestown race before going to Galway. Fils D’Oudairies will be of interest in the Galway Plate if he lines up in the race, for last year’s Galway Plate-winning trainer, especially if the ground happened to come up on the soft side at Galway. Even if he doesn’t make it to Galway, he will be of interest for next season. He could continue his progress on soft ground next winter.
Punchestown, 30^th April 2021