Morosini
It might pay to retain faith in Morosini. Jessica Harrington's horse only finished fifth in the two-and-a-half-mile handicap hurdle, but he ran better than that. He travelled well for a long way, he moved nicely up on the outside on the run down the side of the track, but he got in tight to the third last flight, and he got the second last a little wrong. They weren't major errors, but it appeared that they were sufficient to knock his rhythm at a crucial time in the race, when the pace was increasing and positioning was important as they raced to the home turn. He dropped back to sixth as they raced around the home turn, and he just kept on from there up the home straight and over the last to take fifth place, seven lengths behind the winner, his stable companion Conron.
It is possible that his inexperience just caught him out here. Second in the Grade 3 Winning Fair Juvenile Hurdle at Fairyhouse in February, JP McManus' horse got off the mark over hurdles at Ballinrobe in May, when he beat subsequent Galway Festival winner Foveros. He ran well himself at the Galway Festival to finish second to Lethal Steps there in a decent four-year-olds' novices' hurdle, and he ran well again next time to finish third behind Razoul in the Lartigue Hurdle at Listowel off a mark of 125. He is only four and this was just his fifth race over hurdles, and just his second in a handicap. He still has the potential to go beyond his current mark of 126, he could do even better on easier ground, and he should progress as he gains in experience.
Punchestown, 16th October 2019
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