Naas

Formscan By Eamonn Murphy - The question has to be, where do you start here when trying to make head nor tail of this. Firstly I'd want to be taking on Outlander given that he gives weight all round. Secondly, though Agent James, Fredsmemory and Kick On Boss all looked like horses that'll win plenty of races when making victorious debuts in recent months, they are operating at a different level now. Stolberg hasn't run since Listowel and as a mere five-year-old you'd imagine he'll be found wanting. Kilbarry Beauty obviously has a lot of talent but you'd be taking a bit on trust backing her off a 280 day break. Somethingwonderful is apparently held by Outlander which leaves us with GRAND JESTURE. Henry de Bromhead said of him in an Irish Field stable tour in September 2012: "Alan and Ann bought him off Don Cantillon after he won a bumper at the Punchestown Festival. He is a lovely big, scopey good-looking horse and he jumps really well. He will go over hurdles and we'll get him going towards the end of October. We like him a lot and he is a lovely addition to the yard. He was impressive when he won his bumper and he has been schooling well." The fact that Grand Jesture goes for another bumper now, and that Nina Carberry has been booked, strongly suggests to me that he's been 'burning up the gallops.' Of course he's by Gold Well, Montjeu's very promising brother (now under the Coolmore banner) and he cost current connections 200K.