Lighthouse Warrier © Photo Healy Racing
Trainer Jonathan Sweeney hopes Lighthouse Warrier will soon make it third time lucky over hurdles.
The Milan gelding was an impressive winner of a Punchestown bumper in May of last year and confirmed himself a promising prospect when runner-up on his hurdling debut at Cork later in the year.
He returned from a year on the sidelines in the same Cork maiden hurdle over the weekend and again finished second, this time proving no match for the impressive Willie Mullins-trained winner Come To Me.
Sweeney said: “I was very happy with Lighthouse Warrier on Sunday. We went there last year for the same race and he finished second but burst a blood vessel. We ended up missing the rest of the season then.
“It was 364 days since he ran and he was 20 kilos heavier going into the race than he was last year. If he had finished fifth or sixth and didn’t bleed, I would have been very happy.
“He came out of it good and scoped grand. He didn’t have a hard race.
“We will have a look now and see what is coming up over Christmas, ideally something in about three weeks’ time.
“Hopefully he will keep progressing. He could be a nice horse.”
Another Sweeney inmate to run with credit over the weekend was Battling Spirit, who finished sixth in a handicap hurdle at Navan.
The 11-year-old carries the colours of the Jonathan Sweeney Racing Club, which the trainer is keen to promote.
He said: “Battling Spirit came out of the run on Saturday very well. He kept galloping to the line and hopefully he will go for something over Christmas.
“I would have loved to have Sunday’s ground (soft to heavy) for him and Saturday’s ground (yielding) for Lighthouse Warrier, but that’s the way it goes.
“He rode out on Tuesday morning and is in great order. He still has a nice mark over hurdles and hopefully there will be a nice pot in him over a fence.
“He was the first runner for our racing club. We are taking new memberships the whole time. The more members we get, the more horses we will have.
“Anyone interested can contact Kevin Dunlea or myself, and you can get more information on jonathansweeneyracing.ie. It’s a good, social thing and an affordable way for people to get involved in a racehorse.
“We have another mare to go into the club. She is a half-sister to Lighthouse Warrier and she is a nice mare as well.
“I like to go to the races and be competitive, so if any horse in the club is not up to standard, we won’t be persisting with them.”
Sweeney suffered a significant blow earlier in the year after losing promising youngster Caracara Mail.
The point-to-point winner finished third in a Punchestown bumper on her only start under rules.
