Sea Sessions

Sea Sessions did well to finish second to Bell Ex One in the juvenile hurdle at Punchestown on Tuesday. Settled back in the field early on by Shane O’Callaghan, she was impeded when Captain Clever fell in front of her at the first flight. She did really well to avoid her rival, she actually jumped over him after she had jumped the flight, she was remarkably nimble, but she still had to use up energy, and she lost some ground and momentum, with the result that she was in a share of second last position as they raced away from the stands with a circuit to run. That incident didn’t affect her jumping though. She was very efficient in the main throughout for a hurdling debutant. She was well behind in a well stretched out field as they raced down the back straight, but she travelled well, and she made nice ground towards the leaders as they raced across the top of the track. She moved in behind the leaders on the outside as they rounded the home turn, and she picked up well when her rider asked her to. She made her challenge on the near side and she stayed on well all the way to the line, moving into second place in front of Calvados and getting to within a half a length of the winner Bell Ex One.

It was a smart performance from Ross O’Sullivan’s mare on her hurdling bow. Winner of a claiming race over 10 furlongs at Fairyhouse in July, she stayed on well to finish second in an 11-furlong handicap at Killarney on her last run before Tuesday. That was just her ninth run on the flat, and we know that she handles soft ground well, so she could improve now over hurdles as we move into the winter. Tuesday’s race has been a good pointer to the future, it was won last year by subsequent Triumph Hurdle winner Quilixios and in 2017 by subsequent Champion Hurdle winner Espoir D’Allen, and A Wave Of The Sea and Cerberus finished first and second in the race in 2019.
Punchestown, 12^th October 2021