On The Blind Side did little to dampen his blossoming reputation as one of the star performers within the novice hurdle ranks this season, by claiming his second consecutive Grade 2 contest at Sandown on Friday.
Out of a half-sister to 11-time winning stayer, Knockara Beau, the On The Blind Side has made a winning debut in a big field Kilfeacle maiden for Damian Skehan and Paul Cashman.
Following that narrow victory in a race which has worked out well, producing no fewer than five subsequent maiden winners, the bay gelding was sold to Highflyer Bloodstock for £205,000 to join the Nicky Henderson yard.
Following back-to-back successes at Aintree and Cheltenham, the Stowaway gelding was sent off as a 6/5 favourite for the 2m 3f £30,000 contest.
Positioned in mid-division by Nico De Boinville, the five-year-old picked-up strongly in the home straight to comfortably account for the long-time leader Springtown Lake by nine lengths.
It was a notable result for Irish Point-to-Point graduates, with the first four finishers in the Grade 2 contest all having graduated from the pointing fields as On The Blind Side was chased home by Glenbane runner-up Springtown Lake, Belclare-second Red River, and Moira winner Marley Firth.
“It was a very good performance. Going into the race I thought this was a good novice (hurdle) especially as we were giving away 5lbs to some nice horses”, reported winning jockey Nico De Boinville to Racing UK.
“He is a big raw horse with loads of potential and he is going from strength to strength.”
Winning trainer Nicky Henderson is plotting a step-up in class for the smart performer, with a possible tilt at the Challow Hurdle on the cards.
“He is very professional there. Whhen he won in Cheltenham where he just looked to get outpaced, a lot of opinion was that we should go up in trip. But I wasn’t so sure.
“He is a gorgeous looking horse and he will only be having one season over hurdles, he looks every inch a chaser.
We will look at the Challow and then it will be quietly away to Cheltenham.”
Unbeaten On The Blind Side looks a bit special in the Grade Two Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at Sandown.
— Racing UK (@Racing_UK) December 8, 2017
Results ▶� https://t.co/7iJOPsvjqx pic.twitter.com/7ztVfrpXG3
