Lovely Hurling

Lovely Hurling was impressive in winning the two-mile-two-and-a-half-furlong maiden hurdle at Naas on Saturday. Settled towards the rear of the field early on by Mark Walsh, he was just starting to make his ground when he was slightly hampered by a faller at the fourth last flight. Unfazed, he continued to make his way through the field. He moved into third place around the home turn, joined the leader at the second last flight, travelling well, and led at the last before coming away to win by four lengths and leaving the impression that he had a fair bit more in hand than that.

It was a really nice performance by Colm Murphy's horse, coming from well back off a moderate pace to win a race that his owner JP McManus won two years ago with subsequent dual Grade 1 winner, the Jimmy Mangan-trained Spillane's Tower. A little weak in the market beforehand, he beat a decent horse in Autoportrait fairly readily. Autoportrait was placed in each of his three maiden hurdles before this since joining Mouse Morris, and the pair of them finished well clear of their rivals. He was faster through each of the last three furlongs than any of his rivals, he was over a second and a half faster than the next fastest through the final four furlongs, and he did it all easily. An impressive winner of a bumper at Wexford in May, this was his first run since, and it was just the third run of his life under all codes, so his potential for progression is obvious. A half-brother to Cadatharla, a winner over two miles and three furlongs, and out of a Galileo mare who won over hurdles, he could step out in trip in time.

Naas, 8^th February 2025