Chester Vase-outsider will revert to smaller 'pot' Chester Vase-anomaly Faire La Nouba will have his sights lowered to maiden company next, as the previously-49-rated colt bids to build on an encouraging seventh-placing in the recent Group 3. The son of River Boyne carried juvenile form-figures of ‘000807’ and a meagre 49-rating into Chester’s traditional Derby trial and, despite starting 250/1, finished seventh of eight runners and between horses rated 102 (in sixth) and 108 (last). Clare-based trainer John O’Neill is helped by son Paul, who revealed “I’m always looking at those races and that Chester race had just a 5.6 runner-average, so the idea was to go over to collect a few quid if there were five runners. “We took a punt that by running and by finishing fifth you’d pay for your day; sometimes when they drop back in grade afterwards it can sharpen a horse up, as it gives them experience. “The horse who finished beside him at Chester ran below par while the one behind him reported that he ‘stopped’, so they both ran below their best. Our horse was on the (handicap) system but he isn’t now and I didn’t go asking, as he is a difficult horse to assess. “I don’t want to try to get him into a race with a rating of 50, as he isn’t entitled to that, so he’ll probably go back for a maiden instead. There’s a 1m4f maiden at Fairyhouse and another at Limerick, for horses rated less than 75, so they are possibilities.” The well-known point-to-point rider added “I had nothing to work him with and he was always on his own, but last year ran to within ten lengths of good horses and is still growing and learning on the job. Any of the lads who rode him previously loved him. “We thought, as a piece of work, that Chester would sharpen him up and that he’d be beaten 20 or 25 lengths but he ran a super race. He got a great ride from Dougie (Costello) to run well but all he did was stay going. “I did it with Pink Fire Lily in the Group 3 Goodwood March Stakes three years ago when we got five grand for going over to finish fourth and also had Tullyhogue Fort finish fourth in a Grade 3 chase, as outsiders. “You’d have to be delighted with Faire La Nouba. as we had planned him as a jump horse for the future. He has already schooled over hurdles so has done loads of jumping. Everything we have is for sale and there was interest after Chester although nobody ‘bit’. I think he has to back-up that Chester run but if he does, he’ll be fine. “Myself, my dad and cousin Kevin O’Neill only have a few horses to run and have breakers and pre-trainers, along with our public gallop (Kilnacrandy Farm, Newmarket-On-Fergus).” Trainer O’Neill’s Big Ben Dun had previously landed a famous Punchestown gamble in 1993 while King Johns Castle won a bumper for the father-and-son team in 2004, prior to a second-placing in the 2008 Grand National. ‘Faire la nouba’ is an informal French phrase that means ‘to party’ or ‘live it up’.
