Senecia

The other horse to take out of the Grade 3 three-mile novices’ hurdle at Cork on Sunday is Senecia. The quality of the performance that Vincent Halley’s horse put up in defeat may have gone a little under the radar.
Allowed go off at 33/1, he travelled well through his race early on, but he got out-paced when they picked up at the end of the back straight. About eight lengths behind the front four as they straightened up for home, he stayed on well from the third last flight, and he finished right on the heels of the placed horses. He only finished fifth in the end, and he was beaten a total of nine lengths by the winner, but he was only a total of a length behind the runner-up Monbeg Park, close up behind Cool Survivor and Letsbeclearaboutit.

It was a fine run by the Ask gelding, on his first run back since he fell at the fourth last flight in a novices’ hurdle at the Listowel Festival in September. An impressive winner of his maiden hurdle over two and a half miles on soft ground at Wexford in July on his previous run, there could be more to come from him now. He is only five and he has raced just four times over hurdles and, out of a mare who won over three miles for John Hanlon, he stays this trip well. He could do even better on soft or heavy ground over this trip.
Cork, 11^th December 2022