Tag Archive for: HMS Seahorse

HMS Seahorse setting sail for Coral Cup challenge

/in /by

HMS Seahorse is being primed for a raid on the Coral Cup, following an impressive success at Navan.

The Paul Nolan-trained five-year-old showed good form last season, finishing third behind Vauban in the Champion Four Year Old Hurdle at Punchestown in April, having previously been fourth in the Fred Winter at the Cheltenham Festival.

Given a break after finishing down the field in the Irish Cesarewitch in September, he relished the step up to two and a half miles when reappearing over hurdles last month, scoring with ease in soft ground – on his first start since a gelding operation.

“He was good at Navan,” said Nolan. “He looked like he stayed well and I think he’s a horse who is in no way ground dependent.

“He seems to be able to handle it every way and I’m hoping the improvement has come from him being gelded.

“There are times when it doesn’t make any difference at all, but this fella definitely seems to have improved for it.”

A son of Galileo, he holds an entry in Sunday’s Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle at Exeter, although his Enniscorthy handler says he is unlikely to travel.

“He’s got 4lb more with the English handicapper, but it’s more than likely we won’t go to Exeter,” added Nolan. “It has just given us more of an idea of where we stand. It is useful to know.

“I’d say more than likely we will go to the Coral Cup. It is just stepping up an extra furlong and we found out more about him last time.

“He won a mile-and-a-half handicap on summer soft ground at the Curragh, but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way – you can look like a stayer on the Flat, but there are times you might not stay two and a half or three miles over hurdles, but with him stepping him up in trip is definitely an asset.”

No anchoring HMS Seahorse at Navan

/in /by

HMS Seahorse made a stylish return to action in the Navan Handicap Hurdle, putting himself in the frame for the Cheltenham Festival in the process.

The five-year-old finished fourth in the Fred Winter at Prestbury Park last term before claiming a distant third upped to Grade One level at the Punchestown Festival, but he had been off the track since finishing down the field in the Irish Cesarewitch at the Curragh in September, having been gelded in the interim.

Sent off a 15-2 shot in the hands of Sean O’Keeffe, HMS Seahorse was settled on the heels of the leaders on the rail in the two-and-half-mile heat as 11-4 favourite Lucky Max set out to make all.

The market leader gave a bold sight and was still in front jumping the last, but HMS Seahorse was travelling well in behind and swept through to grab the lead on the run to the line.

Paul Nolan’s runner went on to score by two and a quarter lengths from Felix Desjy, with Rebel Ivy a further neck back in third.

Paddy Power make HMS Seahorse a 12-1 shot for the Coral Cup, while also offering 20-1 about his chances in the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle and the County Hurdle – although the first event listed could be the preferred choice for connections.

“He gave him a brilliant ride. Sean said he came for him every time he asked him,” said Nolan.

“He needed to jump the last and he was long at it. He seems to be jumping far better since he was gelded.

“In Galway he jumped poorly when he was odds-on favourite and the jumping just didn’t work.

“He’s a bit more clinical now, he’d never go long before and he was very good today.

“We might look at the Coral Cup with him. That’s where the lads would love to go.

“We’d have to look at a Pertemps qualifier as well, it would be great to have more options, but that might be tight enough.”