Charles Byrnes is as shrewd as they come and it has to be interesting that the yard send just one horse to Sedgefield Racecourse on Tuesday. Byrnes is admittedly 0-5 at the track in the last five years but the stable is in good form, operating at 40 per cent thus far in November.
Byrnes sent Blazing Khal over to the Cheltenham November Meeting to take his chance in the Grade 2 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, and he didn’t disappoint. Under Donal McInerney, he bolted up so his Sedgefield runner has to be respected.
Based in Ballingarry in County Limerick, which is the south-west of Ireland, it is a lengthy 920-mile round trip to Sedgefield. Just getting the horse there and back will cost a few quid and the prize-money for the race is small enough so the horse needs to win to make it pay.
Kendancer was sent off a 9-4 chance for a novice hurdle over this course and distance 12 days ago. He was nowhere near his best from flag fall. Running way too freely in the early stages of the race, he used up way too much energy from his inability to settle and eventually couldn’t last home, beaten 17 lengths into fourth on the day.
We know that Kendancer is a much better horse than this. He landed an almighty gamble at Ballinrobe in a maiden hurdle back in August and was far from disgraced behind the talented Off Your Rocco at Listowel in September. This is a weak race on paper and it would be a surprise if he was not up to winning it, providing he can settle better of course.
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