Haystacks ready for giant leap at Clonmel

On debut, when trained by Barry Fitzgerald, he made his debut in a Grade Three Hurdle and understandably struggled to make a serious impact, though the run was not without its merits.

More than four months later, he reappeared and again showed a degree of promise, when fifth behind On The Steel. He ran to a slightly lower level third time up and connections chose to go for a point to point on his first start of this term. After finishing a close third in that maiden, he joined Ross O’Sullivan and made his debut for the yard last month at Navan.

Worse than midfield from an early stage, he was hampered by a faller at one point but travelled well for much of the trip. He made quite significant late gains to take fourth place behind Love Me, and there is every reason to believe he will be able to make another step up from that effort.

This race is confined to horses which have never finished in the first three over hurdles and he won’t have to improve too much to take a considerable amount of beating in this company.

The best race on the card is the Jim Strang & Sons Kilsheelan Peugeot Hurdle, and old rivals Three Card Brag and Sandor Clegane are the two to concentrate on, with preference for the former.

Both spent last season racing over fences and on their final outings of the season they clashed in the Grade One Champion Novice at the Punchestown festival. Only half a length separated them at the line, with Three Card Brag taking third to Sandor Clegane’s fourth.

The selection deserves plenty of credit for that effort as he attempted to make all the running and yet was able to battle back to take third place, while Sandor Clegane was ridden more patiently and held every chance of getting by Three Card Brag.

Perhaps being back over hurdles will be a help to the latter as when he finished third in the Albert Bartlett at the 2023 Cheltenham Festival, he was two places and just over four lengths in front of Three Card Brag. However, the selection is a little less exposed, remains a smart prospect, and can confirm the Punchestown form.