4 up for Rose and bigger targets await

Ballyshannon Rose followed up her success at this venue 13 days earlier, and made it four wins on the trot in the Fairyhouse January Jumps Handicap Hurdle this afternoon.

Paddy Kennedy has been aboard for three of these and on this occasion the Kerry native guided her to a length and three parts verdict over Tokyo Getaway

The latter, equipped with first-time blinkers, made Ballyshannon Rose work, but in truth Paul Fahey’s progressive sort travelled through the near three miler as the best horse in the race.

“She's doing everything right. We didn't really want to come here today but were forced to because we hope to run in Leopardstown in the good three mile handicap and wouldn't have got in without getting a few pounds,” said Fahey.

“Hopefully the handicapper puts us in at bottom weight. If she's fit and well we'll have to take our chance.

“She's moving up the grades nicely and where she stops we don't know, hopefully it's not for a while.

“There is a mares novice hurdle in Limerick in March and we'll aim for that to try and get a bit of black-type.

“The handicapper put her up 12lb for the last day and he's never far wrong. He's a judge in fairness. If he had put her up 12lb and she got murdered you say 'what's he at' but you can't complain. I'd prefer to be going up for winning than getting 5 or 6lb for finishing second.

“Paddy said he thought she might have got there too soon again today.

“We got held up with the frost and did a bit of roadwork with her. She did a piece of work on Wednesday on Oghill gallop and I thought it was as good a piece of work that I'd ever saw her doing.

“I've had horses rated above her over the years and I thought that was as good a piece of work as I'd seen. I thought if she brought that here we'd be in business again.”

(GC & EM)