Dublin Four

Dublin Four put up a good performance to win the two-and-a-half-mile handicap chase at Newbury on Thursday. Settled back in the field early on by Kielan Woods, he moved up nicely on the inside over the cross fence and into the home straight. He moved up on the far side in the home straight over the third last and fourth last fences and, despite getting in tight to the second last, he moved up to challenge leader Buster Thomas at the last. He had to be brave, there wasn’t a lot of room between the leader and the rail as they ran up the run-in, past the water jump, but Dublin Four was strong all the way to the line, going on to win by a length and a half in the end.

It was a fine performance by the Arakan gelding, racing for Fergal O’Brien for the first time since he and his former trainer Graeme McPherson teamed up. It was his first run too since last April, when he did well to finish fourth in a three-mile novices’ handicap chase at Ayr after making bad mistakes at the second last and last fences on the first circuit. He proved here that he has the pace for two and a half miles, but it may be that he will do even better stepped back up to three miles. He is only seven and he has raced just seven times over fences, so there could be a fair bit more to come from him. He goes well on flat tracks, and his two chase wins have been gained at Newbury, so he will be of particular interest if and when he goes back there.
Newbury, 4^th November 2021