Chobe Breaks Through

Ballymore’s good new season run continued at Donald on Saturday with the talented Chobe breaking his maiden in impressive fashion.

Always travelling well behind the leaders, the lightly raced four-year-old appreciated the step up to the mile – looking to have the race run a fair way out for Ibrahim Gundogdu.

Getting into the clear into the straight, Chobe put on display a very good turn of foot to reel in the leaders – putting his nose out right on the line to in in determined fashion.

A beautifully bred son of O’Reilly, Chobe is out of the high class race mare Emerald, winner of six races including the Group One NZ 1000 Guineas. Her dam Jennifer Rush was also extremely talented as was her sister Phillipa Rush.

Named after a national park in Botswana, Chobe has always shown plenty of potential and we are looking forward to seeing where he goes from here.

Meanwhile we have some nice horses racing this week, kicking off with three in the same race – the Art Series Handicap – at Sandown on Wednesday.

Whilst Michael Moroney notes that all three – Savvy Dancer, The Hotz and Habitual Offender – will “be improved on whatever they show on Wednesday” – he would not be surprised if the latter two figure in the finish.

Due to jump from an outside gate, top weight Savvy Dancer won over 2500m last time in and whilst he has been working well, the others “will probably prove a bit slippery for him over the 1400m.”

“He has fared well in a couple of jump-outs but he has had a couple of tendon issues and as he gets older he will probably take a bit more racing.”

Whilst The Hotz is also better known for his form over trips, the five-year-old Pentire does have “a bit of speed” and he has been pleasing us with his work this time in.

“He has had two jump-outs and has performed very well in both of them,” Moroney said.

“It looks quite a good field but he is going well and it would be no surprise if he figured in the finish.”

Habitual Offender however is, says Moroney “the best chance of the three.”

“He is a very nice horse,” he said of the lightly raced four-year-old who was considered good enough to run in the New Zealand Derby.

“There is probably not a lot between him The Hotz on how they are going but this horse has drawn better in barrier three and has a light weight for Glen Boss.”

Our other Sandown runner Nordic Duke (pictured) lines up in the Le Pines Handicap and we are just hoping for some rain to arrive.

“It looks the right race for him with a good draw (six) and Damien Oliver aboard but he does want some give in the track.”

Thursday is another busy day for the stable with three runners at the Seymour meeting, two of those – Monsieur de Lago and Say My Name – lining up in the 3Y0 Maiden Plate.

To jump from barrier seven with Steven Arnold aboard, Monsieur de Lago is a well related son of Encosta de Lago from the family of Zeditave.

“He is a nice horse debuting,” Moroney said, adding that “he will improve upon whatever he shows.”

Say My Name in the same race however looks a good chance with the edge of experience on many of his rivals.

“He showed glimpses of real ability at two and he has gone well in his jump-outs, finishing alongside Araldo,” Moroney said.

“He should prove hard to beat.”

Debutant Lord Disick is our other Seymour runner, lining up in the GMCU Maiden Plate with Damien Oliver to ride.

“He is a really nice horse who we bought off a trial win in New Zealand,” Moroney explained, noting that he has also fared well in a local jump-out.

A son of Pentire, he is out of a half-sister to the Epsom Derby hero Dr Devious.