There may be a fear of tempting fate, but it was difficult to watch Quinze win his fifth race in a row at Listowel yesterday and not suspect he may be one of the Irish horses cheered up the hill at Cheltenham in March.
Quinze may have eventually won the Supporters Club Lartigue Hurdle by only three-parts of a length from the fast-finishing Hurmuzan, with England's Palamon in third, but he was giving a stone to the runner-up, he idled in the lead after taking it up on the start of the final bend, and perhaps, most significantly, he greatly impressed both his jockey and trainer.
"He's a nice horse that I've always thought a lot of and he had his ears pricked from the second last," smiled Richard Dunwoody as he gave the horse an appreciative pat in the winner's enclosure. "Charlie Swan told me earlier this year that he was good, and he has kept improving."
Trainer Pat Hughes, who won the Lartigue nine years ago with Rusty Coin, had the pleasure of seeing the £16,000 he invested in Quinze at the Newmarket sales last October repaid yet again, and if the ground is suitable, could bid to make it six on the trot in the £20,000 Kevin McManus Bookmaker Novice Hurdle at Tipperary on October 16th. If it isn't, the four-year-old will be put away until the spring.
"I honestly thought the handicapper had given him 5lb too much but this horse keeps improving. I hate putting the Cheltenham name on a horse this early," Hughes said, "but it has always been in the back of our minds."
Hurmuzan finished to great effect after not jumping too well, a comment that also applied to Palamon, who made a mistake at the second last when starting his run. Marlonette was a disappointment and was pulled up in the straight. However, she travelled very badly to the races and Willie Mullins had considered withdrawing her because of that.
In contrast, the 4 to 6 favourite Promalee travelled conspicuously well on his hurdling debut in the second division of the T J Cross Maiden. The good bumper performer had to be shaken up by Charlie Swan, starting a new millenium after his 1,000 winner on Monday, to beat Go Roger Go and Rizzoli, but Joe Crowley, father-in-law of the trainer Aidan O'Brien, expects improvement.
"Everyone hopes they've got a good one, and if he comes out of this all right, he could run over two miles and six here on Saturday," he said.
Another horse who is expected to improve significantly is Nocksky, who returned to the flat and beat River Dream by a length and a half in the John Lynch Handicap.
"He'd been disappointing on the flat but two runs over hurdles seemed to change his mind about the game. He was also able to get his toe in, and I thought he'd win today by the way he'd been working," said trainer Liam Browne. "He could be good over three miles and hurdles. Paul (Carberry) was very fond of him after he won at Dundalk."
Favourite backers lost out in the opening two maidens. Welsh Lion could only manage third to River Valley Lady, who may reapppear in a mile handicap here on Saturday; while Mystic Step had to be switched twice in the straight and looked slightly unlucky to be only third to Bold Tycoon.
