Queen Jane

Queen Jane just failed to catch Brides Hill in the mares’ handicap chase that opened proceedings at Fairyhouse on Sunday. Held up early on by Rachael Blackmore, last of the eight runners, she warmed to her task nicely, she made nice ground on the outside across the top of the track to move in behind the leaders on the run into the home straight. Switched to the inside early in the home straight, she came under a ride at the second last fence, and it looked like Brides Hill was travelling way better than her, but she stuck to her task determinedly and she stayed on strongly on the run-in to get to within a head of the winner, the pair of them well clear of their rivals.

It was a fine run by Henry de Bromhead’s mare on her seasonal debut, her first run since she fell at the final fence in a mares’ chase at the Punchestown Festival in April, when she arrived there with a winning chance. The handicapper raised her by 5lb for this to a mark of 134, but this was just her fourth chase, and she has the potential to improve by at least that. She usually comes on for her first run back after a break, she seems to thrive under these patient tactics, and Rachael Blackmore gets a great tune out of her. Her record on her now reads 31111F2, and the F could have been a 1. The Mahler mare will be of interest wherever she goes next, she stays two and a half miles well and, a full-sister to Imperial Knight, a winner over three and a quarter miles, and a half-sister to Go Whatever, winner of a Sussex National over an extended three and a half miles, from the family of Gold Cup winner Imperial Call, she could improve again for stepping out in trip.

Fairyhouse, 3^rd December 2023