Barry Connell “expects a massive run” from Marine Nationale in the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase at Leopardstown on December 27.
Winner of the Sky Bet Supreme in 2023, the seven-year-old was limited to just two starts over fences last season and finished seven and a half lengths behind Quilixios on his return to Naas in November.
But the coach told Tuesday Nick Luck Daily Podcast: “He is about to bloom again. He had a very shortened rookie season and only had two runs and we went into the race at Naas to prepare him before Christmas and I thought he ran respectably well. We had left a lot to work on and around October a couple of ours went well but just not all singing and all dancing.
“The winner had been to Cheltenham and Aintree and was battle-hardened so I thought it was a perfectly respectable comeback.”
And the signs at home since then have been very positive.
“What I did was organize to get into Punchestown after the meeting with John Durkan Marine Nationale and Good Land just to give an extra experience before going to Grade One.
“Sean Flanagan rode him and couldn’t have been happier, he jumped and traveled brilliantly and his work at home has been excellent, back to where it was before he went to Cheltenham last year.
“It doesn’t take much to be a forgotten horse, just ask Nicky Henderson about Constitution Hill, but we’re coming in under the radar and all guns blazing on the 27th. I expect a massive run from him.”
Good Countrya Grade 1 winning novice hurdler at the 2023 Dublin Racing Festival, came back from 21 months off to finish third behind Ile Atlantique at Navan on his chasing debut earlier this month.
He has a few Christmas options with a trip to Limerick most likely at this stage.
“It is very dependent on the land. We have had a very dry spell and luckily we got a window at Navan when it rained and the ground was soft. This horse has a history of leg problems, and it will be ground dependent where he goes, but there is a novice chase at Leopardstown and one at Fairyhouse on New Year’s Day, Connell explained.
“In all likelihood the ground will be good there so we’re leaning towards running him in Limerick. Nine times out of ten you’ll get soft ground there so that’s the plan.
“He wasn’t drilled before his comeback so we expected improvement. The rider said he took a big hit between the last two fences and he wasn’t hard on him.
“If you look at the way he travels, he traveled into it really well, jumped well and ran a good race. In terms of jumping I think the fences will be a plus for him. We haven’t pushed him very hard before this run, but in terms of the run at Navan it was probably a deep enough run and I think he acquitted himself really well.”
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