Fleur In The Park
It is possible that Fleur In The Park's ability is still being under-rated. The Grade 2 Champion Chase at Gowran Park was only a four-horse race, and Andy Slattery's horse only really had one horse to beat in the end, with Senecia pulling up and Emily Love a detached last from early, but that rival was Blood Destiny, and Blood Destiny is a talented rival on his day, a game winner of the Lord Hemphill Handicap Chase at the Galway Festival on his previous run over fences. Fleur In The Park was rated 3lb inferior to Willie Mullins' horse on official ratings going into the race, and he was conceding 6lb to him, but he tracked him through the latter stages of the race, joined him at the third last fence, moved on at the second last and cleared away to win impressively in a good time.
Fleur In The Park provided his trainer and rider Cian Quirke with their first Grade 1 wins when he won the WillowWarm Gold Cup at Fairyhouse last Easter. He won nicely that day and, while two of his rivals departed at the second last fence, he proved that there was no fluke about that when he finished second behind the Galway Plate winner Western Fold in the Grade 1 Dooley Insurance Group Novice Chase at the Punchestown Festival, and that was after he had been checked in his run at the entrance to the home straight. His trainer and his rider both say that he is a better horse this season and, a seven-year-old who has run just seven times now over fences, he has the scope to improve again now this season. He has the pace for two and a half miles, but he stays three miles. His rider mentioned the Ryanair Chase as a potential long-range target this season, and his trainer mentioned the King George as a possible option. His immediate target is Down Royal at the end of October, and it will be interesting to monitor his progress as the season develops.
Gowran Park, 3rd October 2026
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