Workahead
Workahead could only finish fourth in the Grade 3 Limestone Lad Hurdle at Naas on Sunday, but there was lots of encouragement to be gleaned from the performance that he put up. Fundamentally, it was good to see him back. We hadn't seen him since he had run disappointingly in the Supreme Novices' Hurdle last March. He was weak in the market here too, but he travelled well for a long way, he raced in third place behind the race-fit Glen Kiln and Farren Glory, who goes well fresh. Still on the bridle on the run to the second last flight, he came under a ride from Darragh O'Keeffe on the run to the last. He didn't have much racing room on the far side between the last two flights, but he was starting to weaken at that point anyway, as lack of a recent run started to take its toll. He weakened on the run-in, but he still finished fourth behind the hugely popular winner Glen Kiln, well clear of the fifth horse Kel Histoire.
Workahead has obviously had his issues, but this was a more-than satisfactory comeback run. Winner of his only point-to-point and third behind Champion Bumper and Albert Bartlett Hurdle winner Jasmin De Vaux on his hurdling bow at Navan in December last season, Henry de Bromhead's horse put up a scintillating performance in winning his maiden hurdle at the 2024 Leopardstown Christmas Festival. Subsequent Supreme Novices' Hurdle runner-up William Munny chased him home that day, seven lengths behind him, and the third horse Springt De La Mer won his next two races, both over fences, while the fourth horse Redemption Day is a Grade 1 bumper winner. This was just his second run since and, while he is eight now, he has raced just four times over hurdles, so there could still be a fair bit more to come. It is interesting that Henry de Bromhead thought enough of him to give him an entry in the Champion Hurdle, and he will be of interest wherever he goes now.
Naas, 25th January 2026
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