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Nationale on course for DRF

Marine NationaleMarine Nationale
© Photo Healy Racing

Barry Connell is looking forward to the Dublin Racing Festival with stable star Marine Nationale.

The 2023 Supreme Novices’ Hurdle winner hasn’t quite hit the same heights over fences to date but Connell has utmost faith that the French Navy gelding can mix it with the best in the two-mile division.

He made just his fourth outing over the larger obstacles when third to Solness in the Paddy’s Rewards Club Chase at Leopardstown over Christmas and his trainer feels he is improving with every run.

“He’s super and is all set for the Dublin Racing Festival. He’s come forward again from his last run,” said Connell.

 

“We were delighted with the way he jumped the last day. He’s still a work in progress over fences but his jumping was excellent, and fitness and experience wise he’s coming forward.

 

“We’ll be quietly confident going to Leopardstown.

 

“He’s coming back to himself. People tend to forget a horse who hasn’t appeared for a while — they go off the radar.

 

“All his ability is still there and all we had to do was to get some more jumping experience into him.”

(Quotes by Alan Magee)

About Gary Carson
Gary started out as a trainee/assistant journalist with the Sporting Life newspaper and has worked in the racing industry for over 25 years. He has been with the Press Association since 2013 and won the Irish Field Nap Table in 2016. He enjoys working with horses and trained his own horse, Mamaslittlestar, to win a point-to-point in 2019.