Hood helps Heads Up get back on track

Heads Up put a disappointing run at Cheltenham last month behind him when taking the Listed Irish Stallion Farms EBF Sheila Bourke Novice Hurdle at Punchestown.

The John McConnell-trained gelding, runner-up to Bambino Fever in the Weatherbys Champion Bumper last March, ran far too freely and made mistakes last time but the application of a hood helped greatly here.

Danny Mullins’ mount adopted his customary front-running role and had his three rivals all in trouble entering the straight.

However, Jack Kennedy galvanised a strong challenge from 4/6 favourite Lazare De Star to get upsides on the run-in before Heads Up rallied gamely in the closing stages to prevail by three-quarters of a length.

The pair pulled seven lengths clear of Stede Bonnet

McConnell said, ““Phew! Obviously everything went wrong the last day. The delay didn’t help but the way he behaved delay or no delay he would have blown his chance.

“The frustrating thing is that he’s a very placid horse at home and is not keen or anything. All his schooling has been in behind but if you get into a row with him, you’ll lose.

“It’s great to get him back and Danny gave him a lovely ride from the front, he didn’t set him alight too much.

“I wouldn’t say he’s had an easy race, but he would have enjoyed it and that’s the main thing. We just wanted to get him back on track.

“Where we go, I don’t know. There will be big decisions to be talked about, but they are nice decisions. He’s in both the Supreme and the Turners.

“He’s probably a two-and-a-half miler but with his exuberance we decided to come back to two and he obviously settled a lot better.

“This was a Listed race today so it’s obviously good to get it, in itself.

“I thought he actually ran remarkably well the last day to last pretty much into the home straight given that he was like a wild animal.

“It was like he didn’t see his hurdles; he was kicking them out of the way. He was running around and he was keen for whatever reason. Cheltenham is an atmospheric place and for whatever reason he just didn’t handle it.

“We had the hood on today and it obviously helped.

“It’s a worry because we’re going to be going to either Cheltenham, Aintree, Punchestown or Fairyhouse and they all have atmospheres. Hopefully he’ll mature and with the hood on him it might be a big help.”

Paddy Power cut Heads Up into 33/1 (from 66/1) for the Turners Novice Hurdle.

Quotes by Gary Carson