O’Grady outlines Grade One aspirations for Leopardstown winner No Flies On Him

Veteran trainer delighted to have an exciting prospect on his hands again.

Edward O’Grady believes he has found a horse to send him back into the big time after No Flies On Him made an impressive debut under rules in the opening race of the Leopardstown Christmas Festival.

While no stranger to top-level success having trained the likes of Golden Cygnet, Sound Man and Back In Front, the veteran trainer has not saddled a Grade One winner since 2011.

Having won his sole start in the point-to-point field, when he beat the Formby Novices’ Hurdle winner Jango Baie, the JP McManus-owned No Flies On Him was prominent in the market at 3-1 for the TRI Equestrian Maiden Hurdle.

Ridden positively from the outset by Mark Walsh, the Westerner gelding found plenty in the straight to score by a length and three-quarters.

“We’re absolutely thrilled with him,” said O’Grady.

“I chose him as a three-year-old at the Derby Sale, JP very kindly let me pick one out. He in turn then sent him for a proper education, to boarding school with Derek O’Connor, who did a fantastic job with him. Then he came back to me this autumn.

“He has a wonderful pedigree – his great grandmother is the dam of Makybe Diva, who won three Melbourne Cups.

“He looks like a very promising horse. I’ve had a lot of swans in the last few years and they’ve all turned out to be geese, but I think this fella might stay a swan.

“He’ll have to be entered in a Grade One anyway and, fingers crossed, I think he might just get there.

“Hopefully he stays lucky, stays right and healthy. I’ve been waiting for one like this for too long, thank God the number six bus has arrived and I’d love if a second one would arrive in a hurry!”

King Of Kingsfield is produced to challenge Mirazur West by Jack Kennedy
King Of Kingsfield is produced to challenge Mirazur West by Jack Kennedy (Niall Carson/PA)

McManus and Walsh were widely expected to complete a quickfire double in the following Thorntons Recycling Maiden Hurdle, with the highly-touted Naas bumper winner Mirazur West already prominent in ante-post lists for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival ahead of his hurdling bow.

However, after racing keenly on the front end, the 5-6 shot was unable to fend off the challenge of Gordon Elliott’s King Of Kingsfield (15-8), who was opening his account over timber after three successive runner-up finishes, including when chasing home stablemate Farren Glory in the Grade One Royal Bond at Fairyhouse three weeks ago.

Elliott said: “That was great. We were riding him all wrong and the last day we changed our minds in the Grade One.

“Jack (Kennedy) was delighted with the way he settled and he jumped well, so we’re very happy.

“He’s not a bad horse and to be honest he had disappointed me up until now as I always thought he was a proper horse. He might just come good now, I’d say the ground could be key to him as well.”

When asked if he could return to Leopardstown for the Dublin Racing Festival, he added: “I’d imagine he’ll head for a Grade One there all being well.”

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