Nibiru

Nibiru did remarkably well to finish fifth in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Hurdle at Galway on Friday. Settled in mid-division and along the inside early on by Liam McKenna, he travelled well until the pace quickened on the run down the back straight final time, at which point he had to be niggled along by his rider. Only about 10th or 11th as they rounded the turn at the top of the hill with two flights to jump, he started to stay on along the inside, but it all got very tight in there on the run to the second last flight, and he got fairly badly hampered on the run towards the obstacle. Shuffled back in the field at that point, he had to start again, and he had his momentum checked again as they ran to the home turn. Still only 10th jumping the final flight, he stayed on really strongly up the hill to get up and take fifth place, less than five lengths behind the winner Hallowed Star.

It was a really good run by Tony Martin’s horse in the circumstances. He did get out-paced but, if he had had a cleaner run through the race when he started to stay on, he could have gone very close to winning the race. He had shaped really well in a 12-furlong handicap on the flat at Galway on Monday, on his first run since January, when he travelled well to the home turn and just kept on from there to take second place behind Merroir, a race from which the third horse, No Thanks, came out and won a two-mile handicap on Tuesday. Nibiru obviously goes well at Galway, but he is in good heart now and he will be of interest wherever he goes next. He could benefit from a step up to two and a half miles over hurdles.
Galway, 30^th July 2021