Colonel Mustard.. he did it
WITH a rating of 136, Colonel Mustard looks an exciting second-season novice and should be tough to beat in the Corrib Oil Maiden Hurdle on the first day of Galway’s three-day Bank Holiday weekend meeting.
A bumper-winner, at Punchestown 13 months ago, this six-year-old was highly-tried by Lorna
Fowler over hurdles last season, having bumped into Ballyadam at Down Royal on his hurdles bow before finishing fourth to Frere Tuck at Punchestown.
The Makfi gelding contested a Grade 2
‘novice’ at Fairyhouse over Easter and acquitted himself well in finishing third behind Echoes In Rain, although beaten almost 20 lengths.
Colonel Mustard got a lot closer to the Willie Mullinstrained Echoes In Rain in a Grade 1 at the Punchestown festival on his final start of last season, staying on to fill the runner-up berth, three and a quarter lengths behind the winner.
On that basis and, with regular partner Conor Orr in the saddle, he sets a decent standard in today’s race.
But the selection must face an above average rival in the shape of Noel Meade’s Harry Alonzo, winner of a bumper at Leopardstown last Christmas before chasing home the useful Letsbeclearaboutit at Fairyhouse in April, plus the Gordon Elliott hope Gortmillish, a ‘point’ winner who finished second on both bumper outings in the spring.
In the earlier, Connolly’s Red Mills EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle, Martin Brassil’s mare Choice Of Words might prove best.
Winner of a point-topoint bumper at Punchestown, she finished second to Grangee in the Grade 3 mares event at the Festival and might have the edge over Elliott’s Clonmel bumper winner Sam’s Choice, the long absent Freedom To Dream and Explosive Boy, third at this venue three weeks ago.