Take All

Take All could only finish fifth in the Dan and Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse on Sunday, but it might be worthwhile giving him another chance. He could never get into a rhythm behind the frenetic pace that Blackbow and Dunvegan set between them. Starting off in the front rank, he was last by the time they jumped the first fence, and he was always playing catch-up in a race that was dominated from start to finish by the front-runners. He was slow at the second fence up the side of the track, and he was a detached last and fighting a losing battle after that. His jumping wasn’t fluent in general, and he could never really get into the race as a result. Only eighth jumping the third last fence, he did keep on over the last two fences to take fifth place, but he was almost 30 lengths behind the winner Dunvegan.

Take All came into the race in good form, having put up a good performance in finishing third behind Grange Walk in a competitive handicap at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival, but he could never get into his racing rhythm, perhaps taken out of his comfort zone by that fast pace that Blackbow and Dunvegan set. Also, while he did win his maiden hurdle at Cork, his best three runs over fences have been at left-handed tracks. He is only seven and this was just his fifth run over fences, so there could still be more to come from him.
Fairyhouse, 9^th January 2022