Donn McClean's Horses To Follow: January 8th to January 15th

Before we dive in, some basic rules for a horses to follow list is to keep them in a tracker and on your radar for the next three runs, bearing in mind ideal conditions across variables like venue, ground, opposition and price are satisfactory to you as a punter. This column should help you build up a list that proves profitable under those circumstances, provides timely reminders to reduce repeated form study and assist with your enjoyment of a season be it National Hunt or Flat racing in the UK and Ireland and sometimes beyond.

Ebasari - Cork, 8th January 2022

Ebasari put up a really game performance on his hurdling debut to get the better of his long odds-on rival Adamantly Chosen in the two-mile maiden hurdle at Cork last Saturday. Settled nicely by Davy Russell along the inside and just behind the leaders, his jumping was good for a debutant, he travelled well the whole way, and he moved up on the outside of Adamantly Chose as they straightened up for home. The pair of them had a good tussle from there, but it always looked as if Ebasari was travelling slightly better. About a neck up jumping the last, Gordon Elliott's horse battled on well up the run-in to go on and win by three parts of a length, the pair of them pulling miles clear of their rivals.

It was a gutsy performance by Ebasari. He was conceding race fitness to his year-older and talented rival, who won the Land Rover Bumper last April, and who finished a good second to subsequent Challow Hurdle third Gringo D'Aubrelle on his hurdling bow at Fairyhouse in late November, and the pair of them finished 30 lengths clear of their rivals. By Lope De Vega and out of an Aga Khan mare who stayed a mile and a half, from the family of Estimate and Enzeli, he reached a peak rating of 72 on the flat for Michael Halford, but he has the potential to be a better hurdler. He holds an entry in the Grade 1 Spring Juvenile Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival, and he could be an interesting outsider in that if he takes his chance.

Dancing Jeremy - Cork, 8th January 2022

Dancing Jeremy was impressive in winning the two-and-a-half-mile beginners' chase at Cork last Saturday. Held up early on by Bryan Cooper along the inside, he was a little keen through the early stages of the race, but his jumping was good for one so inexperienced, and he travelled really well into the home straight. He was only about ninth as they turned for home, but he wasn't far off the lead in a well-stacked-up field. He made his ground along the inside in the home straight, and he was travelling well enough to engineer racing room for himself on the run to the second last fence. He jumped that fence in a share of the lead, and he came away from his rivals from that point. He jumped the last well, and he stayed on well up the run-in to come away from his rivals and win easily from Thedancingfarrier, a winner over hurdles at Cork a month earlier.

It was a fine training performance by trainer Tom Cooper, aided by pre-training by Derek O'Connor, to get Dancing Jeremy back in this form, 414 days since he was last seen on the track. Second in a handicap hurdle at Galway in October 2020 for John Ryan, this was his first run for Cooper, and it was just his third chase, but it was a career-best performance. The handicapper gave him a chase mark of 110 after this, and that is a mark that should be well within range. He has only just turned seven, he has the potential to progress now, and he will be of big interest in a handicap chase now off that mark.

Gunsight Ridge - Sandown, 8th January 2022

Gunsight Ridge put it all together in winning the two-mile handicap chase at Sandown on Saturday. Niggled along on the run to the first fence, he nodded a little on landing over the obstacle, which wasn't ideal, but he was quickly back on an even keel, and travelling well along the inside and in mid-division. His jumping down the back straight was very good, it took him into third place by the time they wheeled around to the Pond Fence. He moved up on the outside of the leader Bun Doran over that obstacle, joined him over the second last, and stayed on well from there to go on and win well in a good time.

It was a good performance by Olly Murphy's horse, over the minimum trip. His best performances over hurdles had been over two and a half miles, and he had chased home the highly talented and progressive L'Homme Presse over two miles and three furlongs at Exeter on his previous run, but he wasn't taken out of his comfort zone here by the fast pace that Bun Doran and Moonlighter set over the minimum trip on the heavy ground, and he saw it out well up the hill. It is interesting that his trainer said afterwards that he was worried about the heavy ground. He also mentioned the Grand Annual at Cheltenham and the Red Rum Chase at Aintree as potential targets now, and that makes sense. A strongly-run two miles obviously suits him well, and his good jumping should allow him travel through one of those competitive two-mile handicap chases, although his chance would probably be enhanced if the ground came up on the soft side for either of those two races. The handicapper raised him by 5lb to a mark of 135, and that was fair. He is a lightly-raced young chaser, and he should be able to continue his progression now. He would be interesting stepped back up in trip too.

Flash De Tauzaine - Fairyhouse, 9th January 2022

Flash De Tauzaine stayed on well to take second place behind Farceur Du Large in the two-mile-five-and-a-half-furlong rated novices' chase at Fairyhouse on Sunday. Settled towards the rear of the field early on and towards the outside, he jumped his way up just behind the leaders as they raced up by Ballyhack. He made a fairly significant mistake at the fifth last fence, but it didn't knock him back much. He wasn't great at the fourth last or at the third last either, and he came under a ride as they raced around the home turn. He had dropped back to fifth at that point, and it looked like he was a spent force, but he stayed on really well from the top of the home straight to move into second place by the time they got to the last, and he kept on well up the run-in to get to within three lengths of the winner by the time they got to the winning line, coming nine lengths clear of third-placed Millen To One.

It was a nice performance by Liz Doyle's horse, on just his third chase, down significantly in grade after running in two well-contested beginners' chases. The handicapper gave him a mark of 122 after this, and that is a mark that is more than workable. He could improve for a step up in trip to three miles, he won his maiden hurdle over two miles and seven furlongs, and he will probably continue to be at his best on right-handed tracks.

Take All - Fairyhouse, 9th January 2022

Take All could only finish fifth in the Dan and Joan Moore Memorial Handicap Chase at Fairyhouse on Sunday, but it might be worthwhile giving him another chance. He could never get into a rhythm behind the frenetic pace that Blackbow and Dunvegan set between them. Starting off in the front rank, he was last by the time they jumped the first fence, and he was always playing catch-up in a race that was dominated from start to finish by the front-runners. He was slow at the second fence up the side of the track, and he was a detached last and fighting a losing battle after that. His jumping wasn't fluent in general, and he could never really get into the race as a result. Only eighth jumping the third last fence, he did keep on over the last two fences to take fifth place, but he was almost 30 lengths behind the winner Dunvegan.

Take All came into the race in good form, having put up a good performance in finishing third behind Grange Walk in a competitive handicap at Leopardstown's Christmas Festival, but he could never get into his racing rhythm, perhaps taken out of his comfort zone by that fast pace that Blackbow and Dunvegan set. Also, while he did win his maiden hurdle at Cork, his best three runs over fences have been at left-handed tracks. He is only seven and this was just his fifth run over fences, so there could still be more to come from him.