Hms Seahorse gets back on course Well-backed Hms Seahorse (morning 9/2, returned 7/4f) won wearing first-time blinkers at Clonmel today, landing the Bulmers Original Hurdle to provide 5lb claiming jockey Carl Millar with a first success for trainer Paul Nolan. The ex-Aidan O’Brien-trained son of Galileo, who had finished fourth at the 2022 Cheltenham festival, returned following 159 days off today and having lost his way in recent times. Travelling well behind the leaders, Hms Seahorse went clear of principal challenger Prairie Dancer in the home straight to score by 7.5 lengths. Nolan reported “it is nice to get him back as he had been in the doldrums for a while, although in the last couple of weeks he had been showing that bit of a spark at home. “He always had a laid-back style and I decided to put the blinkers on, which definitely helped his jumping. I’d been waiting for his customary jumping-mistakes but he didn’t make them today. There’s a 2m4f beginners’ chase at Wexford in a few weeks time, so we’ll see how he comes out of this and he could also have a Flat campaign. “That’s Carl’s second ride for us and first winner for us, and he settled him grand and the horse jumped well for him.”
