Talk The Talk comes out on top in a thriller

Talk The Talk provided Joseph O’Brien with his first Grade 1 win in a novice hurdle when just coming out on top in a thrilling finish to the Tattersalls Ireland Novice Hurdle at Leopardstown. Ballyfad was prominent throughout and was in the air together with King Rasko Grey at the last, while Talk The Talk was just about to mount his challenge under JJ Slevin.

The 3/1 favourite timed things to perfection as he got up in the final stride to deny Ballyfad by a shorthead with King Rasko Grey just half a length further back in third.

O’Brien said, “He’s a good horse, obviously, and he got a lovely ride from JJ. We were always going to ride him fairly cold today. I said to JJ that we might get beat because of that, but we were thinking of the horse’s long-term career.

“I thought at halfway there was no chance he was going to make up any ground because they hacked around. The second and third sat first and second the whole way and we came from third or fourth last.

“It’s a testament to the horse’s ability and also JJ made a key move to go from in to out to get a clear smooth passage home, all the way. Ultimately that was the winning of the race for him. He’s a talented horse.

“You’re thinking about two years down the line, he has to learn how to race properly. He’s a reactive, sensitive, horse so we’ve been conscious to do that in his career so far.

“In Grade 1 company the last day some people said it wasn’t all over, but we were very happy with him on that day, that he showed a lot. You’ll always have it in the back of your mind that he over-jumped it (the last) a month ago and we obviously took steps to try and help him.

“A few people mentioned that he wasn’t a great jumper, but he actually is a very good jumper. He just made a few silly mistakes. He didn’t come from point-to-pointing or France. He’s only had four hurdle runs.

“I think his jumping was good today and he’s learned from every race. The last day was frustrating but you always learn more from those experiences than when you win. We learned plenty and he did as well, I think.”

On his chance in the Supreme Novices’ he added, “He’s probably going to be favourite now and he’ll have a favourites chance. The Supreme isn’t maybe run as strong as it used to be, you often see horses make all in it nowadays.

“Today we were conscious after a fall the last day that he relaxed and did things right. That was why we rode him as patiently as we did and luckily we got away with it.”

Slevin said, “I’d say he’s a very good horse. I was a bit worried about the ground coming here but obviously a good horse will go on any ground.

“He has a lot of class and is improving. He was unlucky the last day with Sam (Ewing) and is just a very good horse.

“It’s heavy winter ground and proper hard work but fair play to everyone that we are racing.”

Paddy Power cut Talk The Talk into 5/1 (from 7/1) NRNB for the Supreme Novices Hurdle and Ballyfad is now 6/1 (from 16/1).

Quotes by Gary Carson