Monday reports: Drumbear looks bright prospect for McConnell

Drumbear looks a bright prospect for Irish trainer John McConnell judged on his debut success over hurdles at Musselburgh.

The six-year-old, having his first start over jumps after winning and being placed in two bumpers, went straight to the front and was keen in the early stages on his first run since April.

However, Drumbear (2-1) soon settled into a nice rhythm for champion Irish conditional jockey Simon Torrens and pulled clear from two out to take the Betway Maiden Hurdle by 10 lengths from 5-4 favourite Salvino.

McConnell said: “He’s a nice horse. He’s still a big baby so he’s got a lot to learn about racing but he has plenty of ability.

“He’s going to get better. He’s a very big horse and obviously he hadn’t run since April so there was quite a gap and he’ll come on for the run as well.

“We’ll take it very steady with him. We won’t put him in too high to soon. We might come back for a novice hurdle the other side of the water in maybe a month’s time.”

McConnell was denied a double when Champagnesocialist had to settle for second place behind Holmes St George in the Betway Casino Open National Hunt Flat Race.

The pair had the race between them in the final two furlongs with Holmes St George (13-8 favourite) asserting in the closing stages under James Bowen to win by five lengths for County Antrim handler Stuart Crawford.

Ballyglass looks an exciting prospect for Toby Lawes to go to war with judged on an excellent British debut at Southwell.

The Montmartre gelding was placed on each of his three starts in Ireland and the form could hardly have worked out better – finishing third behind subsequent maiden hurdle winners Bronn and Howyabud at Ballinrobe and runner-up at Roscommon to The Big Doyen, who has since sluiced in at Punchestown.

The five-year-old had since changed hands for £60,000 at the Tattersalls sale at Cheltenham in November, which appears excellent value judged on his performance in the Midlands.

Lawes said: “I’m absolutely delighted. He’s a real nice type and very exciting for the future.

“He’s still quite a raw type who has got quite a bit of maturing to do, so I’m really pleased with that performance today.”

Given his impressive credentials, it was no surprise to see Ballyglass sent off the 3-1 favourite for the Off The Fence On youtube.com/attheraces Open Maiden NH Flat Race.

Tom O’Brien’s mount eased to the lead over a furlong out and was ultimately good value for the winning margin of three and a quarter lengths over Ohnodonttakemehome.

“We were quite lucky that we bought him two days before The Big Doyen went and won at Punchestown. We probably wouldn’t have been able to afford him if he’d gone to the sales after that,” Lawes added.

“Sam Curling, who trained him in Ireland, told me he wrapped him up in cotton wool between his last run and the sale, so when we got him his fitness wasn’t quite there.

“We’ve brought him back up and with every bit of work we’ve done with him, he’s made a step forward every time. He went nicely in his last piece of work.”

Ballyglass is likely to be stepped up in class on his next start, with Newbury on February 12 a potential next port of call.

However, Lawes is not keen on a tilt at the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival in March.

He said: “There’s a Listed bumper at Newbury, but we’ll just see how he comes out of the race.

“In an ideal world you’d probably go to Newbury and then Aintree (in April), but the way the conditions are we can’t do both as he’s already run in four bumpers.

“If he wanted to have another two races one of them would probably have to be the Champion Bumper and that’s not really a race I want to take him to.

“There’s no hurry as this guy’s life is clearly ahead of him – he’s a proper Saturday chaser in the making.”

Elsewhere on the card brothers Dan and Harry Skelton teamed up to complete a double.

Signal Point justified even-money favouritism with a half-length verdict in the Free Replays On attheraces.com Mares’ ‘National Hunt’ Maiden Hurdle.

Her stablemate Colonel Manderson (13-8) also struck gold as the market leader in the Read Kevin Blake On attheraces.com Novices’ Handicap Hurdle, with eight and a half lengths the margin of victory.