Casheldale Lad

 

 

This is obviously competitive, and Casheldale Lad is favourite and Come On The Lads was tempting against him, but I think that Casheldale Lad is the bet.

 

Gordon Elliott’s horse ran a massive race in the Galway Hurdle for one so inexperienced.  He was prominent from early, and he stayed on again up the hill after he was passed to take third place behind Ndaawi and Helvic Dream.

 

His Galway Hurdle run continued his upward march.  Second to the talented Shuffle The Deck at Naas in April, he battled on well to get the better of the well-touted and well-backed Nicky Henderson mare Khrisma in a novice hurdle at the Punchestown Festival.  His next run was in the Galway Hurdle.

 

A 2lb hike for that was not harsh at all.  Also, he is only five and it was just his fifth run over hurdles.  He has bags of scope for further progression.  He is a really well-bred horse too, his grandam is a half-sister to Starborough and Ballingarry and Aristotle, all Group 1 winners.  And he was good on his only run to date on the Flat with he was with Andrew Kenirons, he got up to beat Vera’s Secret by a neck in a nine-furlong maiden at Punchestown in September 2023, and she is now a Group 3 winner, a 104-rated performer.

 

He has the potential to go beyond his current mark of 140, and the excellent Josh Williamson reduces his burden today by 7lb.  His forward-going style is well suited to the way that the track has been riding all week, both on the flat and over hurdles, and he goes on the ground.  There are lots and lots of positives.

 

CASHELDALE LAD WON (ADV 5/1, SP 3/1)