Fergal O’Brien feels Dysart Enos has enjoyed the perfect preparation ahead of her bid to see off a formidable Irish challenge at the Cheltenham Festival next month.
The Malinas mare has yet to taste defeat in six starts under rules, with her three wins of last season supplemented by a hat-trick of victories over hurdles.
O’Brien’s team went to £95,000 to secure Dysart Enos’ services at the Goffs UK Aintree sale two years ago and the Ravenswell Farm handler had high hopes from the moment the hammer went down.
“Dysart has been phenomenal for us, she’s six from six and we loved her when we bought her,” he said.
“From day one I felt we had a good horse because Noel Fehily was underbidder and he and David Crosse are very shrewd judges. Noel actually brought her back from Aintree for us and rang me up and said ‘are you sure you’ve got someone for this mare’ and I said we definitely did!”
Seven months after being bought Dysart Enos made a winning debut under rules at Ludlow before getting the better of the highly-regarded Queens Gamble in Listed company at Market Rasen.
But it was her nine-length success in the Grade Two mares’ bumper at Aintree’s Grand National meeting that marked her down as a potential top-notcher.
O’Brien added: “The day we bought her I never envisaged this mare would take us where she has. To turn up at Ludlow on the first day, Connor (Brace) gave her a lovely ride and it’s very difficult to drop in behind 14 others at Ludlow and come through and beat the geldings and that race worked out well.
“We genuinely went to Market Rasen thinking we’d finish second to Queens Gamble. Paddy (Brennan) gave her a lovely ride, but I felt Market Rasen probably suited her and she had the speed for it.
“We rolled on to Aintree and that is where she really blew us away. It was a very good field, the form has worked out very well and she was phenomenal that day, the way she travelled through the race and Paddy was able to put her where he wanted.
“As soon as they got inside the last furlong and a half he was able to let her go and the way she opened up and quickened away from them was spectacular.”
Dysart Enos made a smooth transition to the jumping game at Huntingdon in November and the route she has taken since has been slightly unorthodox.
Rather than sticking to her own sex in Listed and graded races, she has gained some valuable experience of Cheltenham, beating the boys in December, before landing cramped odds in another novice event at Doncaster last month.
“Jumping hurdles we’ve planned our route to Cheltenham, rightly or wrongly,” said O’Brien.
“We’re going there without a 5lb penalty, which most winners have over the last few years, but we just felt if we could get away without having a 5lb penalty then surely that’s got to be better.
“The plan was always to start off at Huntingdon and then go to Newbury for the Listed race and none of the owners were at Cheltenham when she won, so I was very grateful they let us run there.
“She can be a bit hot and stressy, so it was important for her to go and see Cheltenham and have a walk round that paddock and come up that hill and see what’s in front of her.
“Hopefully we can get her there in one piece and I think if we do she’ll be in the mix.”
Despite her unbeaten record, Dysart Enos is only third in the betting for the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham, with Gordon Elliott’s Brighterdaysahead and the Willie Mullins-trained Jade De Grugy also yet to taste defeat.
O’Brien respects the claims of both, but does not fear either.
He added: “Gordon’s horse does look phenomenal and Willie’s horse looks great, but there’s a couple of English horses there I wouldn’t rule out, Queens Gamble being one and Jeremy Scott’s horse (Golden Ace), who I was so impressed with round Taunton.
“We’ve ticked a lot of boxes as we’ve been round Cheltenham and she’s got a lot of speed. You’re hoping Gordon’s horse might want two and a half (miles) and we’ll have the legs on that one, that’s what we’re hoping anyway – you’ve got to cling to some bit of hope when Willie’s and Gordon’s horses are coming over!
“We certainly wouldn’t change anything that we’ve done this season. We’ll see on the day and give it our best shot.”
While Dysart Enos and Stayers’ Hurdle candidate appear the trainer’s two chief Festival contenders, he has a couple of others who could join them on the short trip to Prestbury Park.
Springtime Promise is three from three since joining O’Brien, most recently landing a Grade Two at Sandown, and may line up alongside Dysart Enos in the Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle if conditions are testing, while Teorie is considered a lively outsider in the Boodles Juvenile Handicap Hurdle.
“It would want to come up soft or worse for Springtime Promise to run. She won over two and a half the other day at Sandown on heavy ground and she could go to Fairyhouse at Easter if it came up soft there,” said the trainer.
“We’ll take it right up to the day and see what the weather does. If it turned up soft she would have a fantastic chance as we haven’t seen the bottom of that mare yet and I could see her coming up that hill in great style.
“I love Teorie, I think he’s got a great attitude. He’s a big price, but he’s in great form. He disappointed a little bit at Musselburgh, but he won very well first time out and then he beat older horses next time at Southwell.
“He’s got a great attitude and loves racing and loves being a racehorse – he loves being amongst them.
“I’m hoping he’ll run very well.”
Supreme Ventures Racing urges review of racing rule after Caymanas Park abandonments
Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), operators of Caymanas Park, have called for a review of Rule 44 (iii) enforced by the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) following the cancellation of two races during the April 27 race meet at Caymanas Park.
In a press conference on Monday addressing the abandoned races, SVREL Executive Chairman Solomon Sharpe expressed frustration with the rule, highlighting its potential impact on the racing industry.
"This rule, unique to Jamaica, imposes a strict five-minute limit after the published post time for races at Caymanas Park," Sharpe stated. "It fails to account for various factors that can delay race starts and penalizes all stakeholders when races are abandoned, affecting punters, jockeys, grooms, trainers, owners, promoters, and the government."
Last year, Caymanas Park contributed over $260 million in combined taxes to the government's coffers. Sharpe urged the JRC to engage SVREL in discussions on Rule 44, emphasizing the need for constructive dialogue to address the rule's impact.
"We were not consulted during the initial discussions on this rule, and now, with two races abandoned in a single race day, our concerns have materialized," Sharpe explained. "SVREL is open to collaborating with the JRC to review and refine this amended rule."
Representatives from the Grooms Association, Jockeys Association, and the United Racehorse Trainers Association echoed SVREL's concerns and supported the call for a review of Rule 44.
Sharpe concluded by appealing to regulators, stakeholders, and the public to support the growth of the horseracing industry in Jamaica. "Horseracing has immense potential in Jamaica and can become a significant foreign exchange earner. Realizing this potential requires collaboration among all stakeholders."
SVREL has been operating Caymanas Park since March 2017 after the government divested the property. With investments exceeding J$4 billion in product enhancements and innovations like the Mouttet Mile, which boasts the largest purse in the English-speaking Caribbean, SVREL remains committed to advancing the horseracing experience in Jamaica.
Supreme Ventures Racing regrets abandonment of two races at Caymanas Park on Saturday
Supreme Ventures Racing & Entertainment Limited (SVREL) has expressed regret and disappointment following the abandonment of two races during the Saturday, April 27 race day at Caymanas Park in St Catherine, Jamaica.
The decision to abandon these races, SVREL said, was made in compliance with regulations set forth by the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC), leading to the refund of all related pools according to SVREL's Pari-mutuel rules.
According to the statement released by SVREL late Saturday, the abandonment of races number one and six, respectively, was declared by the stewards of the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) due to delays that exceeded the permitted time frame as stipulated by Rule 44(iii).
Specifically, in race number one, scheduled to commence at 12:00 pm, a saddling issue with horse number five and a mandatory veterinary check for horse number eight, which reared and fell after exiting the saddling barn, resulted in delays beyond the allowable limit.
Similarly, race number six, slated for 3:10 pm, was delayed due to a horse running loose, ultimately leading to its abandonment by the stewards of the JRC.
SVREL explained that the recent amendments to Rule 44(iii), which came into effect from April 1, 2024, mandate strict adherence to race start times with a maximum allowance of five minutes after the published post time. SVREL noted that Jamaica is unique in enforcing such a rule without prior consultation with the sole promoter of horseracing in Jamaica.
The enforcement of this rule has led to financial losses for industry stakeholders, including owners, trainers, jockeys, grooms, punters, and the promoter and as such the disruption caused by the abandonment of these races understandably resulted in unrest among stakeholder groups.
Despite the challenges faced, the race meet resumed with race number seven at approximately 4:00 pm, SVREL noted.
SVREL has now issued a sincere apology to valued customers and stakeholders for the inconvenience caused by the abandonment of races one and six by the JRC. SVREL also emphasized its readiness for open dialogue with the JRC and all impacted stakeholders to ensure the continued success and integrity of the horseracing industry.
As the sole promoter of horseracing in Jamaica, SVREL said it remains committed to addressing challenges collaboratively and upholding the highest standards of professionalism and service within the industry.
Light seeking to shine again at Sandown
Kitty’s Light is taking aim at his usual season finisher in the bet365 Gold Cup at Sandown.
The gelding has been a star for trainer Christian Williams, winning big handicap events like the Eider Chase and the Scottish Grand National and going close in the Charlie Hall and the Coral Trophy.
He has particularly good record in the bet365 Gold Cup on the final day of the season, missing out only due to interference when second in 2021 and coming home third in 2022.
Last year he was completed the set of podium finishes when winning by two and a half lengths under usual jockey Jack Tudor.
The two are well acquainted and teamed up for Kitty’s Light’s Grand National bid at Aintree earlier in the month, where he ran a valiant race to finish fifth behind four Grade-One winning Irish chasers.
Williams was incredibly proud of his stable star and is now hoping the gelding can shine again in the Sandown contest he has found to be lucrative in the past.
“It was wonderful, we trained him to win the race and we thought he could, but you couldn’t be disappointed with what he did,” Williams said of the National performance.
“We were thrilled, the horse tried his best and we were very, very proud of horse and jockey.
“He’s come out of it very well, if the race was run today even then he’d be running, he’s in good form.
“He loves it at Sandown with the big fences, his jumping has come on now but even as a five-year-old he nearly won the race.
“He was third the year after that, it really seems to suit him.
“I think he likes going right-handed, he hangs a little bit right at home and he seems to really enjoy it there.
“We’re taking our chance anyway, he seems well and we’ll hope for the best.”
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