Heart Wood and Inthepocket shine under trainer de Bromhead, marking a promising start to the season. Heart Wood dominates the Michael Hickey Memorial Chase while Inthepocket delivers an impressive victory in his chasing debut.
Heart Wood, who became a Grade Three winner after moving from France to de Bromhead, was the 8-13 favorite with jockey Darragh O'Keeffe. Benefiting from a 15-pound allowance from Corbetts Cross, he controlled the race, winning by seven lengths and setting a promising start to his season. De Bromhead was pleased, saying, 'I'm delighted. He is a lovely horse and has performed brilliantly. Darragh rode him well; he jumped effectively and accelerated nicely. You'd hope he has improved from last season; he is still very young.'
Looking to the future, the trainer is considering entering Heart Wood in the Drinmore, depending on eligibility confirmation. Corbetts Cross secured second place, with Mark Walsh as the jockey, finishing ten lengths ahead of Buddy One. Frank Berry, the racing manager for JP McManus, remarked on Corbetts Cross's performance, saying, "He jumped well and finished the race strongly. It was a big challenge to give the winner so much weight in his first race back, but Mark was very pleased with his jumping and how he sped up."
The success continued with Inthepocket, who secured victory in the Wexford Racecourse Members Supporters Club Beginners Chase. As a high-class hurdler with a Grade One title from the Top Novices' Hurdle at Aintree, Inthepocket made his chasing debut a year after his last race, where he finished second at Navan in November. Under Walsh's guidance, the seven-year-old, who was the 1-2 favorite, demonstrated his skill by winning impressively by 15 lengths over Gordon Elliott's Grade One winner, Farren Glory.
De Bromhead was thrilled with Inthepocket's performance, stating, 'I'm delighted with that. He has always been a nice horse. He jumped excellently, and Mark was fantastic on him. He is a very exciting horse for us. We decided to set him aside last season due to a minor issue, but we believe he is likely better suited to racing left-handed rather than right.'
After a successful birthday event and with promising horses in his stable, de Bromhead is optimistic about the upcoming season. The trainer is already planning future races, though the Grade One at Leopardstown over Christmas is no longer a possibility for Inthepocket. Nevertheless, he is hopeful about identifying suitable opportunities for both horses.
