WELCOME to our Eyecatchers column! Every week, form expert James Flaherty pinpoints horses primed to strike in the next few weeks, if not days. Remember, you can add James's weekly updates to your ATR Tracker.
HARRY LOWES LIKELY BETTER THAN CURRENT MARK
WOLF RAYET
1.45 Aintree, 9 April
Wolf Rayet certainly outran his odds of 80/1 in the Grade 1 juvenile contest that opened the Aintree Grand National Festival on Thursday. He wasn’t disgraced in the Triumph Hurdle at the festival when finishing eighth, but I feel there were even more positive signs in this.
Held up off the pace, he was clearly ridden to get home and conceded first run on the pair of fillies that contested the finish. This was further exaggerated by the fact that he was eased approaching the final flight. However, his finishing effort after the last really caught my eye and while I know the front pair had been racing longer, he was much quicker than anything inside the final furlong.
He will remain a novice for next season, and I’m sure he will improve for a step up in trip. Personally, I’d love to see him up to two-and-a-half miles in handicap company, but that may depend on what the handicapper does with him. Either way, I’ll be keeping a close eye on him next season.
PETIT TONNERRE
4.40 Aintree, 9 April
I kept an eye on how Petit Tonnerre would run in this contest with a view to Punchestown later this month. His style of racing isn’t suited to the Red Rum, where prominent runners usually dominate. That was again the case this year, with the first three home all racing on or close to the pace.
Petit Tonnerre set out in mid-division, but an early error meant he was nearly last and any chance he had was practically gone. His jumping wasn’t great throughout, but he still managed to stay on reasonably well to finish seventh, beaten twenty-one lengths.
That may not seem great on the face of it, but he was beaten the exact same distance last year when finishing ninth off the same mark, before going on to win at Punchestown off 127. He will need some help from the handicapper, but he is of interest if making the journey over again in a few weeks.
KILTYBO
5.15 Aintree, 9 April
Fairy Park is already in the tracker after her previous run so I won’t include her again, even though I think she will be the best of these in time. Further down the field, I thought Kiltybo shaped better than the bare result, having been close to a decent pace and probably going for home a little early.
She looked like a threat to all as she loomed up round the home turn, still travelling well on the front end. However, her earlier exertions eventually took their toll, with the finish dominated by horses that were patiently ridden. Kiltybo didn’t help herself by hanging either, possibly not too comfortable on this better ground.
I’d say when she gets proper soft ground again, we will see a different mare, but the way she travelled through the race suggests she has a fair level of ability. A good mare for promising young trainer, Conor Houlihan, who had previously trained the winner of this contest, Nan’s Choice.
O'MOORE PARK
4.05 Aintree, 10 April
It is not surprising after watching this race that O’ Moore Park’s best run this season came over three miles in the Paddy Power at Leopardstown over Christmas. He was unable to hold a position here in the early stages and was miles back as the field went down the back straight, before staying on strongly.
He wasn’t helped by the fall of The King Of Prs at the third-last fence, which slightly hampered him. He possibly may have finished sixth without that inconvenience, but I think he needs to go back up in trip. He took a wide course throughout as well and certainly covered more distance than most of his rivals.
His profile suggests he finds it hard to win, with just one success to his name from nineteen runs in total and he is still a maiden over fences from twelve attempts. Some help from the handicapper and a return to three miles could see him go close again though.
HARRY LOWES
5.15 Aintree, 10 April
One of the more obvious ones from the entire week, Harry Lowes’ effort was impossible to ignore in the two-mile handicap hurdle on Friday. Held up off the pace towards the rear of the field in the early stages, that probably wasn’t ideal considering the pace held up well.
I sympathise a little with Tristan Durrell as the horse was caught behind a wall of horses at the top of the straight and then flattened the third-last which left him on the back foot. When he saw daylight, he stayed on well, but it just wasn’t enough unfortunately.
I am convinced this is a much better horse than his current mark though. While he will get a few pounds for this, he is in the right yard for a nice handicap and could be one for the Greatwood Hurdle at the start of next season, before embarking on a possible novice chase campaign.
LORD BYRON
1.55 Aintree, 11 April
Lord Byron featured in this column earlier in the season after his big effort at Cheltenham on Trials Day. It is fair to say I still didn’t envisage him running as well as he did in the Triumph Hurdle last month, and this effort was arguably even better, taking on his elders for the first time and up in trip.
For me, he emerged as the second-best horse in this race as I don’t think he was really given a fair chance. Held up in rear, patient tactics were exaggerated even if his jumping didn’t help at times. He had a lot to do as they turned for home but closed all the way up the home straight. In fact, he probably would have been second in another fifty yards.
He is another juvenile that will remain a novice next season, and he could develop into a Grade 1 novice contender next season for Faye Bramley. Whether that is over the intermediate trip or three miles I’m not sure yet. Whichever distance they choose, I think she has a nice horse on her hands.
