Kargese

Kargese ran a big race to finish second to Majborough in the Triumph Hurdle. She was keener than ideal early on, but she travelled well until deep into the race, she was still on the bridle as they crossed the path on the run to the final flight and she looked the likely winner as she moved to the front and over towards the stands rail, at which point she traded at 1.14 in-running. In the end, she was over-hauled by Majborough on the run up the hill, probably out-stayed, but Majborough could be very, very good, and the pair of them finished well clear of their rivals.

Kargese was keen when she finished second behind Kala Conti in the Grade 2 juvenile hurdle at Leopardstown’s Christmas Festival on her first run for Willie Mullins, and she was still a little keen, but she settled much better, when she won the Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival. She is obviously a top-class juvenile hurdler, and it may be that Punchestown will suit her style of racing better than Cheltenham does. If they both line up at Punchestown, she could get closer to Majborough in the Champion Four-Year-Old Hurdle there than she did in the Triumph Hurdle.

Cheltenham, 15^th March 2024