Thegreatjohnbrowne

Thegreatjohnbrowne put up a scintillating performance to land what looked beforehand like a really good two-and-a-half-mile beginners' chase at Punchestown on Wednesday. In front after jumping the second fence, the Noel Meade-trained gelding jumped superbly throughout under Paul Carberry, with the exception of one mistake down the back straight. He seemed to be able to measure up his fences from a long way out, and he was fast and fluent over almost every single one. He had his field well stretched out down the side of the track, a field that included top chasing prospects like Arabella Boy, Bostons Angel and Magnanimity, and he stayed on impressively over the last two fences to win really well.

Always held in the very highest of regard by his trainer, he won his bumper and his maiden hurdle in the space of two weeks last December, and looked destined to take a high rank among the Irish novice hurdlers, but it never really happened for him after that, he was pulled up in both of his next two starts and he rounded off the season with a fairly indifferent performance in Arvika Ligeonniere's novices' hurdle at Punchestown in April. This was much more like it. He always looked more like a chaser than a hurdler anyway, and he could develop into one of our top staying novice chasers this season. His jumping on Wednesday was hugely impressive for a debutant, he galloped on resolutely, he finished out his race well, he should be even better for the experience and there is every chance that he will improve again for stepping up in trip.

27th October 2010

© The Irish Field, 30th October 2010

Back