Irish horses to follow from the weekend: A Champion Bumper prospect emerges

There were weekend meetings in Ireland at Navan and Thurles as the busy January programme hurtled on and we've picked out a trio of horses that caught the eye and could be worth following.

• Timesareachanging
• The Irish Avatar

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• Hillberry Hill

Slattery's newcomer looks useful

Trainer Andy Slattery picked up Timesareachanging from the ever-reliable source that is Colin Bowe.

The Mahler gelding fell in his sole point-to-point outing, long before the race would get serious, and made his Rules bow at Limerick in a bumper over Christmas.

The bumper run was a good one, we were happy coming away from it as the ground was so dead. We were confident of a good run. He idled away in front, he only gives you what he has to

Philip Donovan

He was third there in a decent contest won by Rojuco Mac for Charles Byrnes, with the Willie Mullins-trained Looking For Eight in second spot.

Connections opted to go straight over hurdles and Timesareachanging was a relatively unconsidered 25/1 chance in the NavanRacecourse.ie Maiden Hurdle over 2m6f.

He was keen and pulled his way to the front, jumping well, and then doing nicely to hold off the challenges from Court Compliance and He Can't Dance late on, having been so keen early.

That pair had some useful form in the book and connections of Timesareachanging were expecting a decent run.

"He hasn't been in Andy's that long, but what we've seen of him, we liked," said winning rider Philip Donovan.

"The bumper run was a good one, we were happy coming away from it as the ground was so dead. We were confident of a good run. He idled away in front, he only gives you what he has to. It was a good performance."

Avatar displays top credentials

Gigginstown House Stud aren't always noted for their bumper horses, but The Irish Avatar displayed a sparkling effort at Navan on Saturday for Patrick and Willie Mullins in the maroon and white silks of Michael O'Leary's operation.

The point-to-point runner-up was picked up for £200,000 by Gigginstown and made a winning start under Rules, defeating the experienced Gordon Elliott runner Low Kick - also representing Gigginstown - by a commanding nine lengths under a hands and heels ride.

The son of Poet's Word has the scope to get a trip in time but, for now, has done enough to earn a best-price quote of 14/1 for the Champion Bumper at Cheltenham in March.

Hillberry Hill impresses for Mags Mullins

Hillberry Hill is a gelding by St Leger winner Kingston Hill and he secured his first win over timber for trainer Mags Mullins in the Connolly's RED MILLS Irish EBF Auction Maiden Hurdle at Thurles on Sunday.

He had displayed some promise on his debut at Clonmel in November over an extended two miles, but the step up in trip appeared to help here as he came home strongly under trainer's son, Danny, to thwart market principles Ifallgoeswell and Forty Coats

The latter is trained by Henry de Bromhead and was fourth in the Turners Novices' Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival last season behind The New Lion.

Another step up in trip could well be due for Hillberry Hill and his trainer will take her time before making a plan for the spring.

"I wasn't surprised that he won. I'd say he's a chaser in the making," Mags Mullins confirmed. "Henry thinks a lot of this horse, so you'd have to be delighted with him.

"We'll wait and see now and see how he comes out of it, and make a plan from there."