Teqany set for break after Downpatrick

Tony Black thinks Teqany could well embark on a winter break following his intended outing at Downpatrick on Friday.

The four-year-old was a winner at Tramore in August, but as a Flat-bred son of Dark Angel, Black believes winter ground would be against him and will likely draw stumps after the Killultagh Estates Rated Novice Hurdle.

“Teqany is terribly ground dependent. He wants real good ground. He won in Tramore on quick ground,” explained Black.

“He was entered in Listowel, but the ground came up soft.

“We ran him in Galway the last day, but it was soft enough for him too. He just doesn’t quicken on soft ground, but hopefully he’ll get better ground at Downpatrick on Friday.

“Unless we find a race for him in England, I’d say that could probably be his last run this year.

“He’s only a four-year-old and he should be one to look forward to for next summer.

“He’s an ex-Flat horse, but he loves the hurdling.

“We ran him in that ladies race at the Curragh before Galway and he travelled well enough in the race, but the soft ground found him out that day as well.”

Located in a hive of point-to-point activity in the south east of the country, Black is currently transitioning from work with his small track team to the main business at his Bunclody base.

“We’re fairly full up here — we mainly do point-to-pointers, trying to produce four-year-olds before selling them on,” said Black.

“We have a good few youngsters to run, there’s some nice types amongst them.

“Where we are (County Wexford) is the home of the point-to-pointer now, where it used to be Cork.

“It’s a very competitive game — it’s harder to win a maiden point-to-point now than to win a maiden hurdle.”

Black is expecting improvement from N’arrete Jamais ahead of her anticipated second racecourse outing at Downpatrick on Friday.

There was quite the buzz about the Martaline grey ahead of her debut at the Listowel Harvest Festival recently, the betting reflecting as much with the five-year-old towards the head of the market at 4-1.

Black only has a small string, but he booked dual champion point-to-point rider Barry O’Neill for the ride on N’arrete Jamais.

After travelling smoothly, the well-bred sort couldn’t raise her effort from over a furlong out and eventually finished fourth behind Gordon Elliott’s Sassy Yet Classy.

“She’s grand and she’s probably after improving a small bit since that run,” said Black.

“She was after working well and ran in a few schools, but I’d say a lack of experience probably caught her out on the day.

“She travelled well through the race but when they quickened up, she more or less blew up more so than anything else.

“The ground was sticky enough that day in Listowel and, if she handles the track, she should be there or thereabouts at Downpatrick on Friday on what will hopefully be better ground.

“She’s a terribly well-bred mare and the owner Gary Hadden and his family have bred some really decent types like Cheltenham winners Cooldine, More Of That and Blow By Blow.”