Secret Force
Secret Force looked good in winning the three-year-olds' maiden hurdle at Punchestown on Tuesday on his hurdling debut. Settled back in the field early on by Conor Stone-Walsh behind a sedate pace, he was still only seventh of the eight runners as they approached the second last flight. He jumped that obstacle well and, given a squeeze by his rider, he moved into fourth place behind his three rivals who disputed the lead on the run around the home turn. Hopes Are High moved easily into the lead on the run to the last, but Secret Force quickly challenged him and joined him at that last. He jumped that flight well, and he came away impressively up the run-in.
It was a really taking performance by Gavin Cromwell's horse on his hurdling bow. An ex-Godolphin horse whose dam won a listed race over a mile for John Gosden, he had shown a good attitude on his first run for Gavin Cromwell when he got up close home, again off a moderate pace, to land a three-year-olds' handicap run over a mile and three furlongs on heavy ground at Listowel last month. He showed an aptitude for jumping here, and he picked up well off a sedate pace, as evidenced by his finishing speed of over 112% of overall speed. He was nearly three seconds faster through the final four furlongs than The Truant was in winning the handicap hurdle run over the same course and distance a half an hour later. This is a race that has been won by some good juveniles in the past, including Woodhooh and Quilixios and A Wave Of The Sea, and Gavin Cromwell won it with his subsequent Champion Hurdle winner Espoir D'Allen in 2017. Secret Force obviously has a long way to go if he is going to reach those heights, but he is exciting, and he could take a high rank among the juvenile hurdlers this season.
Punchestown, 14th October 2025
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