My Immortal

My Immortal was just caught by Shewearsitwell in the Pertemps qualifier at Punchestown last Sunday, but he ran a fine race in defeat. Settled nicely by Michael O’Sullivan just behind the leaders, he moved up on the outside of the leaders on the run to the second last flight, and jumped into the lead there. He travelled well in front around the home turn on the inside, and he picked up well when his rider asked him to. A length in front at the final flight, he kicked into a two-length lead on the run-in, but he was just run down close home by Willie Mullins’ mare, going down by a neck in the end.

It was a fine run by Barry Connell’s horse. He raced prominently in a race in which the hold-up horses came to the fore. The other six horses who, with My Immortal, filled the first seven places all raced in mid-division or worse early on, and the winner was 14th of the 15 runners with three flights to jump. This was just My Immortal’s fifth run over hurdles too.  A good winner of a three-mile handicap hurdle on soft ground at Punchestown last February, he was well beaten on his debut this season back at Punchestown, but the ground was faster than ideal for him that day, and this was a nice step forward from that. The handicapper raised him by just 3lb for that to a mark of 133, and that is more than fair. He is only six, he remains unexposed, and he will be of interest in another good three-mile handicap hurdle. The Pertemps qualifier at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival would be an option, as would the three-mile handicap hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival in February. Looking further ahead, he could be a horse for the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham in March.
Punchestown, 20^th November 2022