Meade Jumps Off To A Fast Start

Karl Hedley looks at some early winners in the jumps season

The jumps season proper has just got underway here in Ireland and we already have seen some exciting prospects for the season ahead. At the beginning of the month, we saw the consistent and likeable Raya Time get off the mark over hurdles at Clonmel.

This bold front-runner was always going to be popular given a string of placed efforts last season, but this was his first win since joining Henry De Bromhead. The ever-popular Rachel Blackmore had him in front from the get go and the combination put in a near-perfect round to win by a good dozen lengths.

Now that De Bromhead has secured that lucrative and notable first win over hurdles with the six-year-old, the intention is to get him over fences sooner rather than later. He said: “The plan is now to go chasing. We felt that he was entitled to have one last go at a maiden hurdle and it worked out. Subject to confirmation with the owners he will go chasing now and the way he jumps fences at home he ought to do well as a chaser.”

At Gowran Park a few days later, we saw the welcome return of the talented Snow Falcon. He was absolutely friendless in the market and drifted from 5s to 7/1 in the betting. Having absorbed an injury following a win at Down Royal last year, the nine-year-old missed almost six months of action on the track.

In three subsequent starts. including an appearance at Royal Ascot in the Ascot Stakes, he was finishing closer to last than first. Clearly a break over the summer has rekindled that enthusiasm. Trainer Noel Meade said: “He’s very good when he’s fresh. The ground went against him in Ascot and we let him out and I didn’t think there was any possibility he could be ready for this.