Tipperary Review 2010
Many trainers like to introduce horses with potential at Tipperary, both on the flat and over jumps, but it is probably safe to say that the calibre of horse that raced at the track this year was 
something special. Pride of place must certainly go to the Michael Halford trained Casamento. The Shamardal colt made his debut on Thursday 26th August. There wasn’t any great fanfare when he beat Dermot Weld’s Cannon Hill. Wining trainer Michael Halford’s post race comment that the colt would definitely improve didn’t rattle any sabres.
Things changed dramatically when he won the Group 2 Juddmonte Beresford Stakes impressively. However, it was his win in the Group 1 Racing Post Trophy that has made him second favourite for the English 2,000 Guineas and the English Derby. It all began at Tipperary.
In second place in that prestigious race was the Aidan O’Brien trained Seville. In his previous race at Tipperary he romped home in the Longfield Stakes. In third place at Doncaster was Master Of Hounds, another Ballydoyle inmate, and his previous run was also at Tipperary, when he bolted in. So all three outstanding colts won their maiden races at Tipperary and that is certainly a great boost for the track.
Michael Halford is also responsible for Invincible Ash and she completed her hat-trick at Tipperary in the Listed Abergwaun Stakes, 
where she had Luisant behind. The latter went on to win the Listed Knockaire Stakes a Leopardstown, while Invincible Ash completed a four-timer in the Listed Mercury Stakes at Dundalk.
Dermot Weld has always had a soft spot for Tipperary and his Dansili filly, Emulous, owned by Prince Khalid Abdullah was an impressive winner of the Coolmore Stud Home Of Champions Concorde Stakes. She went on to frank that form when annexing the Listed Garnet Stakes at Naas.
Aidan O’Brien introduced Flying Cross to win his maiden at Tipperary in August and a fortnight later he ran a super race to finish third in the Irish St Leger to Sans Frontieres and Profound Beauty. He is certainly one to watch out for next season. David Wachman has enjoyed many successes at Tipperary and when his filly Meow won her maiden many observers were impressed. On her next outing she was touched off by the favourite Masqaasid in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.
We must not forget the performances of some national hunt horses, who impressed at Tipperary this season. When the Gerald Quirke owned, trained and bred Fiddlededee won the Point-To-Point Mares Flat Race on 29th April it was inevitable that this valuable mare would be much sought after. She exchanged hands for a €125,000 and is now trained by John Joe O’Neill at Jackdaws Castle. We will watch her progress with interest.
Another horse, described by his trainer, Gordon Elliott, as “a lovely horse”, with real potential is Steps To Freedom. This four-year-old really caught the eye when winning the Stars Of Tomorrow Flat Race on 3rd June. He will be out in January.
Edward O’Grady is still the leading Irish trainer at Cheltenham and he believes that he has a Cheltenham contender in The Real Article. This Definite Article gelding won the Jim Ryan Racecourses Services I.N.H. Flat Race on 18th July. This was his third bumper success and he showed that he can jump when winning his maiden hurdle at Listowel. Mrs Patricia Wallace and Mrs Edward O’Grady’s hope could be heading for Cheltenham next March.
There are four other Tipperary winners that we should watch carefully in the coming weeks. When Macville won the Woodlands Hotel Adare Handicap Hurdle, his trainer, Patrick Neville, predicted a bright future. That came to fruition at the big Down Royal meeting when she slammed recent winners Oilily and Araucaria. The plan is to go straight to Cheltenham. A number of our politicians, including the Taoiseach, own Donnas Palm. He got the better of his stable companion Aitmatov in the Friends Of Tipperary Hurdle on Super Sunday. His trainer, Noel Meade, said recently that he will take on the best this season.
John Shark Hanlon’s Hidden Cyclone opened his account over hurdles on 5th October at Tipperary and his trainer then took him to Navan, where he dawdled in. “If he improves his jumping you will see him in one of the novice hurdles at Cheltenham in March.”
There is one other horse to follow and that is Presenting Nama. He sluiced home for John Halley at Tipperary when winning the Tipperary Co-op Hardware and Supervalu Flat Race. We await with interest his first outing over hurdles.
So in the forthcoming national hunt season and next season’s flat campaign, we must watch carefully those horses that performed so well this season at Tipperary.